Legacy of the Forgotten
by Chazz 'Selrahc
Summary: It was a war where mankind touched the very power of the maker. Devoid of light, or hope where Fal'Cie would determine the destiny of man But what happens as a glimmer of hope falls into this lightless war? Will mankind be saved, or is destiny unescapable
1. Plague

Silence. That was what filled the small private room of the hospital where Lightning laid. White sheets pulled tightly against her shivering body, which were soaked through with sweat.

The strong, stoic, woman was cringing, curled up slightly, and biting her teeth so as not to cry out from the sharp pain that racked her body.

A swallow echoed across the room like a gunshot as one sixteen year old cleared his dry throat. He had been sitting in a very uncomfortable wooden chair next to Lightning's bedside for almost three days now. In that time little had been said between them. Mostly because whenever Lightning tried to talk she would cough, and when she coughed she would spit up blood.

So Hope sat beside her in silence. Getting her a glass of water and feeding her at regular intervals. He could tell from the look she had when he did this she just wanted him to go. Lightning didn't want to be a burden to him or anyone else.

But Hope wouldn't leave. Not until the doctor managed to fix Lightning. Then he would take all the yelling and verbal abuse that she could throw at him, but right now she needed him. And no amount of glaring, even if it was very menacing, would stop him from helping her.

So as Lightning started to thrash about, a coughing fit beginning to build, Hope got up and headed to the private rooms sink. He filled a glass with water, making sure the taps filter was working properly, and quickly kneeled on Lightning's bed, beside her.

He used his left arm to help sit her up. Lightning weakly allowed Hope to push her into a sitting position. And then as the coughing died down she even allowed Hope to hold the cup to her lips so she could slowly, thirstily, drink.

It took her the better part of a half hour to slowly swallow the water, a few trails of the clear liquid falling down her chin and dribbling unto her brown turtle neck.

Hope gave her a reassuring smile before fluffing her pillow and laying her back down. Lightning nodded meekly, her body shaking from being cold once Hope left her side.

Lightning's feverish blue eyes watched Hope as he washed and dried the glass. Hope then set it down; in the same place he had set if for the last three days, and walked back to his chair. Lightning could see by the slump of his shoulder and the large dark bags under his eyes that Hope had not slept since she had been here. Briefly Lightning felt guilty because she had done little other then sleep.

Hope caught her gaze and smiled easily. It was kind and warm and said 'everything's going to be alright' without Hope having to say a word. Lightning tried to smile back, but it turned into a grimace as her stomach felt like it was twisting.

Hope kept smiling, even though he felt like crying. He reasoned that if he showed just how much all this was hurting him then it would make Lightning feel worse. And that was the last thing she needed right now.

"…Just….Go…" Lightning wheezed, another coughing fit starting.

"You know I won't go." Hope got up and went to get Lightning another glass of water; the doctor had said to do this whenever she started coughing. "Not after everything you've helped me through." Hope had filled the glass and was at her side again, the cold feeling temporarily leaving as Hope's presence was so close.

"Idiot." Lightning's coughing eased as Hope sat her up.

The doctor had said something about sitting up allowing fluids, or maybe he said blood Hope was to shocked at the time to listen properly, to leave her lungs. The only reason they didn't have her sitting up all the time was because when she sat up there was an increase in cranial pressure… or whatever the doctor said. Hope really wasn't sure anymore. It all sounded so medical that he just nodded and did what the doctor instructed.

However he did understand one thing: whatever was happening had Lightning's life in the balance. And for once the odds couldn't be overcome with sheer will power alone.

"Guess I'm taking after Snow."Hope said. Lightning made a laughing wheeze like sound as Hope laid her back down. "I'm going to go to the bathroom now, do you need anything? Just nod, don't talk."

Lightning shook her head marginally as the warmness of Hope's body left her. In truth she just wanted Hope to stay close to her. The pain seemed to ease when he was nearby, but she couldn't tell him that. In her mind Hope was suffering enough on her behalf, so there was no reason to further burden him.

"I'll be quick; I'm a guy so taking a leak won't take very long." Hope said as he jogged off, wanting to be done and back at her side as fast as possible.

Hope ran through the sterile halls of Oerba's one and only hospital. It was a small place with a maximum capacity of a hundred. But then again the whole populace of Oerba was only three hundred or so people, including visitors and military personal.

Since Cocoon's fall people had spread out. Forming thousands of small towns all over Pulse. The millions of people that had survived Cocoon's fall had spread out into a little over two thousand villages. Oerba, while not an even remotely large village, was a very important one. It's surviving books and script offering a view of how to survive on Pulse.

Of course that view on how to survive didn't include how to cure this strange disease that had infected Lightning.

"…Why can't I see sis!" Hope froze as he heard Snow's brutish voice.

"Trust me you'll just aggravate her." The doctor said annoyed.

Hope looked down the hallway to see the thin, lanky, doctor standing in the narrow hallway. His hands touched either wall as he defiantly blocked the way of a guerilla of a man known as Snow Villiers.

"But she's my sister!" Hope could see a fuming Serah also being held back by the doctor.

"She's not ready for visitors!" The doctor shouted as he was slowly being pushed back. "You don't understand, anymore strain and she could be in seriously bad shape…"

"Duck!"

The doctor ducked just as Hope's boomerang flew over his head. The weapon slammed into Snow's head and sent him flying all the way down the hall where he collapsed into an unconscious lump.

"You will leave Lightning alone." Hope commanded as he calmly walked towards the doctor, a hand automatically reaching up to grab his boomerang. "Until Doctor Jason says otherwise."

Serah took a step back as she caught Hope's glare. That look would give Lightning, even on her worst day, a run for her money. It was made all the more effective because Serah had never seen that look on his face before.

"H-Hope." Serah swallowed and returned his glare. "I have to see her." Serah's body was shaking with determination. "She's my sister…" Hope slapped her, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed across the hall.

"You're thinking about your needs." Hope's face, which had lost the baby fat and gained an air of strength, was locked in determination. "You want to see Lightning so you can feel better and grieve properly. But right now she needs to be alone. If she knew you were here worrying about she would worry about how you were feeling and try to fake being better."

"Then why are you here!" Serah yelled. "Shouldn't the same go for you?"

"I'm the only person she won't put on masks around." Hope's eyes softened and he put a hand on Serah's shoulders comfortingly. "I know how you feel. But right now she doesn't even know we told you. And if she did it wouldn't do anything good for her. Please trust me."

Serah glared at Hope for a moment. But she sighed and nodded with sad eyes, a certain understanding dawning.

"…Alright..." Serah said after a moment. "Just… protect her please."

"I will." Hope said confidently, almost like he was making an oath.

The doctor gave Hope a nod of thanks before leading Serah to a waiting room. He dragged the unconscious Snow by the collar as well.

Hope let out a sigh of relief. That was one problem out of the way. But as he heard Lightning yell out he knew that something else was wrong.

Holding his urine Hope ran back down the hall and burst into the room. And what he saw made him want to slap Lightning stupid for being so stubborn.

Lightning was laid out on the floor in front of the sink. A broken glass was a few feet away, water spilled around it.

She was curled up in a ball, shaking violently. As Hope hurriedly approached her moaning form he saw a pool of blood forming around her head.

"Light." Hope breathed out as he ran to her side. "Damn it, you shouldn't have done that!" His voice was angry. Lightning couldn't blame him.

"I won't be a burden." Lightning groaned as Hope rolled her over.

"Damn it." Lightning had bit her lower lip open. That mixed with a new coughing fit were quickly coating the floor in slick, yet sticky, blood. "You may not get up, do you understand me?" Hope ordered. Lightning's eyes widened slightly as she realized that Hope was ordering her around, and with that strong, hurt and caring voice she knew she would obey. Well until she felt better, then she'd do what she wanted.

Hope picked Lightning up in his arms gently. And then carefully laid her down on the bed, checking her for any cuts as he did so.

Seeing that other than her lip there were no injury's he pulled a manadrive from under her bed and used it to sow her lip back up. The flesh reattached itself, leaving behind nothing but caked blood.

"Now stay put." Hope locked eyes with Lightning. The older women shivered in a bad way when she saw the wetness about his eyes. "If anything happened to you… I don't… I don't know what I'd do." And he was gone. Getting her a glass of water.

Lightning grunted in what she hoped was an apologetic way and stared up at the ceiling. They're were exactly three hundred sixty two and a half tiles on the roof. Three of these tiles had small chips. Four had what looked like spit wads on them and fifty five had large missing pieces. In Lightning's three days here she had counted the tiles and each individual fault in them.

Not because she felt like she had to, or that it might help her in some way. But because her mind was always alert and active. And laying in bed, not being able to talk, with someone taking care of her had left her mind precious little to do.

Of course Lightning admitted, begrudgingly, that if Hope hadn't been by her side she probably would have left the hospital already. She hated these places. The sterile rooms, that strange clean smell that made her think of death. No, hospitals and Lightning Farron didn't get along very well at all.

"Come on." Lightning glanced to the side, seeing Hope kneeling on her bed with a glass of water. "We need to sit you up, don't want to accidentally drown you because you were drinking while laying down do we?"

Lightning allowed Hope to sit her up, as though she had a choice in the matter, and put the glass to her lips. The cooling liquid made the burning in her throat feel less severe. However as it hit her stomach she didn't enjoy the way it made her insides feel so cold. It was a little to metaphorical for her liking.

"There." Hope pulled away the empty glass. "that's all for now, okay? The doctor said something about your electrolytes being low. And death by drinking too much water sounds like a lame way to go." Lightning rolled her eyes. She agreed with him, but she really wanted more water. The stupid six ounce glass never had enough to quench her undying thirst.

As Hope got up Lightning watched him. She felt guilty as Hope wetted a towel and started cleaning up her blood. It was a massive blow to the soldier's pride that she had to rely on someone like this, especially when that person was as dear to her as Hope was.

Hope was finished mopping up the floor after a few minutes. He then threw the towel away in a bio hazard bag. The doctor had said that this disease couldn't be spread through blood and that it was just standard procedure. Lightning wasn't sure if she believed him, but she hoped he was right. Because if he was wrong Hope had been infected long before he brought her here.

"As long as you're not going to try anything stupid." Hope emphasized stupid. "I'm going to go pee."

Lightning rolled her eyes, but nodded. She learned her lesson, well learned it for the day at least. If she had to stay here much longer then she'd probably try something else, but not for a few days.

Hope took one last glance at Lightning. She was shaking again, but he couldn't give her a blanket. Not with her temperature being as hot as it was. The best he could do was hurry to the bathroom and offer his silent comfort.

Of course as Hope was running down the halls destiny decided to stand in the way of his bathroom break. This time destiny came in the form of doctor Jason.

"Hope." Jason said as he blocked the boy's path.

"Aw come on." Hope groaned. "I have to go…"

"Then I'll accompany you." The look of suspicion on Hope's face was not lost on Jason. "I need to talk to you about Lightning's condition. And I believe you should be the first to know, since you've been at her side since you brought her here."

"…Alright." Hope said, still eyeing the doctor. "But if you try anything you'll be a patient here."

"Don't worry." Jason smiled a tad tiredly. "I know Lightning and the last thing I want to do is mess with her pupil. If she's taught you half of what she knows your stronger than most of the army."

_She's taught me far more then half._ Hope thought as the pair made a jog towards the bathroom, which was on the opposite end of the hall for some strange reason. _She's almost finished training me. Comparatively I'm just a step below her, not that I'd ever tell her that._

It had been just over two years since Cocoon fell. In that time Hope had trained under Lightning, with the permission of his father. He had advanced quickly under her strict, though kind, hand. His body had changed. He was still thin, but his muscle index was fairly high. His endurance and strength were higher the most trained soldiers, but what was most amazing was the level of his combat technique. Hope fought in a similar style to Lightning, though he favored a heavier weapon with less acrobatic attacks.

If Lightning hadn't gotten sick she would be telling him he did a good job when he almost beat her. Or smiling down at him when he did something stupid like trip up the stairs, which is a lot easier to do then one might think. Or maybe even shake her head as he failed yet again to cook a good dinner…

"So what's wrong with her?" Hope almost dreaded asking. But at the same time he had to know.

"Her body's eating itself. I don't know why, and I don't quite understand how." Jason said as they came to the bathroom. "It appears to currently be eating on her nerve endings and the pain center of her brain, though it's already ate a couple of small holes in her lungs causing the bleeding. But I suspect it won't stop there. Her muscles and organs will be next and eventually she'll die."

"I see." Hope stepped to the urinal while the doctor leaned by the sink. "How long do you think she has?" Hope glanced at the doctor and frowned at the man's serious face.

"If she had any less willpower I'd say a couple weeks before she'd either die or go insane." Jason sighed. "But this is Lightning. The second most stubborn person I've ever met. I officially can't make this call, I'm supposed to say two or three weeks… but." Jason fixed Hope with a strangely happy yet sad smile. "I would stake money that Lightning lasts at least six months before we can't help her anymore.

"Do you think you'll be able to find a cure?" Hope's sentence is punctuated by the sound of him zipping his pants up. "And don't lie. Tell me the truth."

"To cure her I'd have to do something like rewrite her DNA." Jason admitted. "Because that's what I think is happening. Her DNA was encoded with a directive to destroy itself. I hear PSICOM was working on something like that before Cocoon fell. But I was in PSICOM, a higher up if you can believe it, and that project wasn't anything more than an idea on a piece of paper…"

"Maybe…" Hope shook his head as he washed his hands in the sink. "Maybe someone on Pulse has that kind of technology?"

"…Maybe." Jason looked thoughtful a moment. "There are some ancient ruins a few clicks east. They were about a mysterious disease that occurred during the war. It took a heavy toll on Cocoon soldiers, everyone who contracted the disease died. The disease persisted up until Ragnorak tried to destroy cocoon. There were some other writings but…"

"But what?" Hope was drying his hands on his pants.

"The last bit was written in an old Cocoon script. Really old, I recognized it as the original Cocoon language but I couldn't read it." Jason and Hope locked gazes. "The only word that made sense were Time and Fal'Cie. But I get the feeling it was a warning."

"Or it might be a cure." Hope said, biting his lower lip. "You want me to investigate?" Hope inquired of the doctor. Jason couldn't help but smile sadly.

"Yeah." Jason pulled a cell phone sized device out of his pocket. "Communications, without the radio towers of Cocoon, are slow. But I've got a list of several places that have the same Cocoon writing amidst ancient Pulsian history. I think that it might be how to find a cure. We've identified words such as, power, purity, angel, salvation, plague, and cure."

"So you think it's our best shot." Hope could feel his stomach knot slightly. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be at her side to make sure she gets well, not off to find some cure that may or may not exist.

"It's our only shot." Jason clarified. "Without the technology of Cocoon we can't possibly come up with a cure in time. The best we could do is maybe delay it, and even then it will be only a matter of time." Jason held out the phone, the two male's eye's locked in one of the most serious gazes that two men could give each other. "You're her only hope. If you can't find a cure then she'll die. I'd send someone else, but you're the only person strong enough to do this. The only person strong enough to go out into Pulse, find it and come back."

Hope glanced down at the phone. This was hard, so hard. He had lost so much because of the Fal'Cie. But he gained something. Five, eight if you included Dajh, Serah and Chocobo, friends that were more like family. And maybe he gained a crush. Maybe he cared, just a little bit, more for one of those friends then he should.

So, with that thought in his head, Hope extended his arm and took the phone. Making a silent vow to protect that friend he cares a little too much about.

"I'll do it." Hope pocketed the phone. "I'll leave tonight. You just have to promise me to protect her until I get back." Hope looked coldly up at the doctor. "Because if you let her die while I'm gone I'll kill you." And with that Hope left Jason standing in the bathroom by the sink, a mildly amused look on his face.

"You're quite the scary one." Jason looked up at the ceiling a moment before smirking. "But most people can be quite scary when they have something to protect…"

* * *

_Something's up._ Lightning could see the tense way Hope was sitting. That and how he seemed to be so much more attentive and alert then earlier, like he had woken up. This is what he looked like when he was about to have to do something he didn't want to.

But Lightning would wait until Hope was ready to talk. Forcing things out of Hope often wound up very awkward. And she rarely got the whole story, just the shortened 'I'm going to tell you before you get pissed' version.

"Light…" He asked hesitantly. It was the same hesitant voice he used when he asked to train under her.

"Get on with it." Lightning wheezed, suppressing the coughing fit that started.

"I think I can find a cure to your illness." Hope swallowed hard. "But I have to leave to find it. And there's no guarantee that I'll find it before you… before you die."

"Forget it. I'm not worth you worrying over…" Lightning couldn't suppress it. She started coughing blood and Hope was by her side in a second. He wedged himself between her and the wall and kept her in a comfortable sitting position. And with his presence that cold feeling in her body was gone again. Someday she had to figure out how he did that… made her feel so warm.

"I'm going to go. With or without your blessing." Hope said sternly. "And while I'm gone I want you to stay alive until I get back." Lightning tensed in his arms. "Because I will come back. I won't abandon you, I give you my word."

"Idiot. You should worry about yourself." Lightning knew she shouldn't talk, but she couldn't help it. "Get married, have a nice family and forget about me…"

"Idiot." Hope flicked her in the forehead, earning him a glare from the sick woman. "I can't forget about any of you. You people changed me and I can't forget, I can't go back to being the selfish, sheltered, child I was." Hope smiled down at her, causing Lightning's glare to falter. "So let me do this. Let me be the one to protect you for once, okay?" And he went for the win. His eyes widened and lip pouted slightly in that expression that Lightning had never been able to resist.

"If you die I'll kill you." Lightning promised. Which was almost like getting permission, except she could complain about it later.

"Alright." Hope gave her a kiss on the forehead in parting. "I won't die." Hope laid her down. "As long as you don't." Lightning smirked as Hope got up, the cold feeling returning to her body.

"Yes sir." Lightning made a weak mock salute.

"Yes ma'am." Hope saluted earnestly, and like a moron he used the wrong hand.

Hope left. And as soon as the door closed Lightning couldn't help but feel like she had just lost something very important…

**

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**(A/N)**

**All the credit for this one goes to muddledthoughts. It was her idea and this is the first chapter. It's more of a set up for what's to come. **

**Now for those of you reading my other story I haven't stopped writing it. And it does take somewhat of a priority since it's closer to being done. But this story idea was just to good to pass up. muddledthoughts is like a genius with this one and it's an honor to get to write it. That said the next chapter will probably sometime midweek since it's already half written (this chapter was originally much longer, but that was just the perfect place to stop so shrug) so look forward to that as soon as it's done.**

**Okay I know HopexLightning fans. This isn't listed under Hope x Lightning. That's because the majority of the books romance has nothing to do with Lightning. Please put down the stakes! I will always support that pairing and when Because you are my Hope is done I will write another HopexLightning story at the same time as this, but this is something I was asked to write and something I really want to write so please bear with me, it'll all be worthwhile I assure you.  
**

**Disclaimer: Huh… I don't appear to have the rights to Square Enix on my person. Must have left them in my other life…**

**Now I'm going to bed. I need to sleep at least a couple hours tonight or tomorrow's not looking so good for me… 'sighs'**

**So… laters!**


	2. Death of Fal'Cie, Death of Time

Five months later after chapter one.

An endless ocean lay before a man. Its beauty was almost indescribable to the tired green eyes that looked over it. Those green eyes stared off into the distance where the sky and ocean seemed to fuse into one body of never ending blue…

"Blue, like her eyes." The voice was a little scratchy from disuse, but otherwise it held a very familiar tone filled with wisdom beyond its years.

The man wore heavy tattered boots, a few claw marks were cut into them. His long baggy grey pants were ripped and torn open revealing legs which had a few thin, red, scars running across them. A heavy, long sleeved, black shirt covered his upper body. And a dirty, worn down, brown scarf was wrapped over his neck. It was over his old bandana, mint green with a tribal design, and kept it almost completely out of sight.

The scarf also covered most of his face, from the bottom of his chin up to the tip of his nose, from view. It hid scraggy, rather unhandsome, stubble of a silver beard. His cheeks were smeared with dirt and grime from months without bathing water, which meant he smelled like a dead animal someone hit and dragged through the dirt.

The males silver hair fell halfway down his neck and in his face in unwashed, windswept, clumps. A stray strand of silver touched the handle of the massive boomerang lashed onto his back. The boomerang was a dull grey with a now worn out yellow paint job and a black tribal design on it.

The boomerang was large enough so that if Hope planted one edge into the ground it would stand four feet tall. The weapon had a fairly distinct V shape to it with a set of hand holds on the inside so it could be wielded from any point of the inside.

The man caught his reflection in the water and sighed.

"I know what Lightning would say." He grinned at himself, noting his teeth were now stained pretty badly. "Hope go take a bath, you look like shit." Hope laughed at himself.

Yeah, she'd say something like that. Or she might just throw him in the sea and tell him to bathe before he swam out. It really would depend on how angry she was at the moment.

Hope smiled. He was going to get to see that face again soon. Because he finally found where all the clues pointed. A small island that was far out into the ocean.

Hope turned to look at the island he was on. He could see clear across it. It was small, mostly a sandy beach. And in the middle the island was a mile wide circle of green vegetation. The grass was so lush and soft that Hope could easily have fallen asleep on it. And then there were the five tall palm trees that produced large brown fruits.

Upon inspection Hope found them to be strangely large coconuts. He would have just walked past them, after all he had never been fond of the hard shelled fruit, but his stomach gave a mighty growl that echoed across the infinite horizon. So Hope decided to quench his hunger before continuing.

He drew his boomerang and unceremoniously cracked a coconut open. The sharp blade easily, messily, lopped of the top of the fruit allowing Hope to quickly drink of its sweet juice. With a loud happy 'ah' sound he wiped his mouth before casting the coconuts flesh a dirty look. He really hated these things, but if he didn't eat he wouldn't make it back with the cure.

In speaking of the cure. Hope looked up to see a stone staircase in the middle of the island. It had a small overhang, probably to keep rain out, that was made of old stone with the same ancient Cocoon dialect on it. He couldn't read the words, not without the phone Jason had given him. And even then it took a lot of time.

"From the purity of the angel. From the power of plague. The cure for salvation will rise. Death of Fal'Cie, death of Time." Hope recited with a sigh. "It all leads here. Angel island. The farthest point from the plague sight. But that doesn't say a whole lot about the rest of it." Hope ate the coconut flesh hurriedly, with a look of disgust.

At least this whole journey will be over soon. Then he can go back to being Lightning's disciple.

Hope stood up and holstered his boomerang on his back. And then with a head held high and walking proudly he approached the hole in the ground. Some of that confidence and pride drained away when he saw the stairs go down out of sight.

He had done a lot of walking. Even with all that time he had spent on the velocycle he had walked enough to have crossed all of Cocoon, thrice, so all he wanted to do was sit down and stretch, maybe take a nap. But Hope didn't have the time to spare, not with a cure so close.

So with little more than a sigh he trudged down the stairs. As he walked into the darkness he noticed that crystals in the ceiling offered a faint, oddly kind, glow that made the passage way visible once one's eyes adjusted to its dim radiance.

As Hope could see he noted how worked the stone felt. It was smooth to the touch, without any nicks or divots, which made Hope frown. He had seen some ancient tunnels on Pulse. But they were all imperfect. Rough, scratched and other wise aged and damaged. But this…

"It's not natural." Hope said and kept walking.

There was a feeling of foreboding, like something wasn't quite right. So, just as a precaution, Hope pulled the boomerang from his back and gripped the handle firmly. If something really wasn't right he didn't want to be caught off guard, Lightning taught him that being unprepared was how soldiers died.

After awhile the stairs ended in a massive chamber. The chamber was a circle and if Hope's estimation was correct it was at least the size of the island above, maybe bigger.

The ceiling was vaulted with dozens of pillars holding it up. In the center of each pillar was a sphere of crystal with glowing writing in the ancient Cocoon script.

"If I had to guess." Hope said as he looked around the room, seeing more of the ancient text engraved in the wall. "Than I'd say this is the place."

As Hope walked forward there was a loud sound from behind him. Hope turned to see a door closing in front of the stairs. Hope thought for a moment he was going to be locked down here and die. But then the door jerked to a halt as is its lowering mechanism either snapped or jammed.

"Man." Hope said as he observed the three or four feet of crawling distance he had under the door. "I got lucky."

He turned back to the room and gave it a more careful once over. Upon closer inspection he could see a few tiles that had sunk down and triggered other traps. The area around a couple of these sunken tiles was charred, probably a fire trap, and had what looked like thin silver needles embedded in the wall.

_I guess they don't want anyone down here._ Hope thought as he carefully walked into the room.

He realized it was merely an antechamber as he saw a massive hallway leading out of the room. This was when Hope began to wonder just what this place had been.

To sate some of this curiosity Hope sheathed his boomerang and checked one of the sprung traps. And upon close inspection he determined the trap was newer then the rest of the building. There were two factors that made him suspect this. The first was that the tile didn't properly fit; being slightly smaller than the hole it rested in. The second, and most critical, was that while the floor was stone this was a lightweight metal, similar to the ones that old, very old, velocycle's would have used.

_It's the kind of plate that a velocycle in the War of Transgressions would use._ Hope thought as he gingerly picked up the plate. _Man, it looks like it actually came off one of one…_

Hope had seen one once. His mother had taken him to a museum on a slow day. The curator had let him jump on the display and touch the velocycle while he explained how it worked and how this design was superior to what the army used now. Hope had asked why and the kind old man had said because they were built for one purpose, war, and that the multipurpose designs of today could never match.

However that didn't explain why this plate was here, or what this facility had once been used for.

_Oh well._ Hope set the plate down before standing up, wiping his hand on his pants. _It's not too important._ His eyes looked down the dark corridor. _Right now finding a cure is a much bigger priority then knowing what's up with this place._

Hope cautiously entered the corridor. It was long and dark; the crystal lights seemed to barely be working. And they're pulse had a sickly green. If Hope was to put a description on that green he would say it was cancer green. Such a dark and sick color like that made him feel on edge.

An edge that manifested itself with Hope's eyes glancing around while his hand held the handle of his boomerang tightly. This edge, which was more like a healthy caution, proved to be prudent as a slight whirring sound came from his right.

In a blindingly fast movement Hope rolled forwards and drew his boomerang, ready to defend himself. Of course as he saw the innumerable needles that had almost shot at him he realized it would have been futile.

If the trap hadn't failed and the needles weren't stuck in their launchers then he would have been little more than a holy corpse stuck on the wall. Of course Hope couldn't help but wonder about this trap. And upon some inspection he found that it too wasn't an original part of the building's design either.

Which means the building was modified from whatever it originally was. But why was it modified? Is it because they buried the cure here? Or was there some other reason?

Hope sighed. It didn't matter, he was out of time. If the cure wasn't here then he would go back and be with Lightning in her final days. It made him feel like crawling into a hole and dying, just thinking that he might not be able to cure her made Hope shiver in a bad way. But he wasn't giving up.

Holding his weapon at his side and glancing about with narrowed eyes Hope slowly stalked down the hall. But despite his carefulness he still set off a few of the better concealed traps. To which fast reflexes, and a massive boomerang to hide behind, saved his life.

Hope did however make a note. The further in he went the more complicated the traps got, and after thoroughly checking one or two he couldn't find a way to turn them off remotely. Meaning whoever had set these traps wouldn't be able to get out, which means they probably died trapped with whatever they were protecting.

After what felt like an eternity, but was really just over thirty minutes, Hope came into another chamber like the one at the entrance. It was here that Hope started to get a sense of what this place used to be.

The room was built out of the same stone as the rest of the facility. But in the middle was a lowered circle in a shape Hope assumed was for sitting, like a big circular couch or something.

Above the hole in three semi circle clusters around the room were the remains of control consoles. They were damaged and abused but clearly of Cocoon design.

There were a few other remnants, glass fragments from a monitor and the remnants of a steel stand of some sort, which made Hope think this was some kind of Cocoon base. A base that would date back to at least the war of transgression, though the structure could always be older and just retrofitted to be used for a military base.

Hope looked around further and saw where dozens of hallways would have been, had they not been blocked off by some kind of collapse the left steel and rock debris entirely covering the wide entrances.

_Whatever happened in here was pretty serious._ Hope examined some of the rubble. _It looks like it was cut to pieces…_

His hand brushed over char marks and eventually came to a faded red stain. He didn't think it was blood; could blood still stain something after hundreds of years? but it did give him an eerie feeling.

This feeling intensified when he found the only corridor that wasn't blocked. Its light was blue, but a, weak, pale blue. Like a fading life.

With a hard swallow Hope advanced down this hall with his weapon held close by. He assumed whatever was being protected would be up ahead, and that meant whatever defenses he encountered would probably be stronger then everything that came before.

So it was an immense surprise when he came out into a large chamber without encountering anything. However that surprise was dwarfed by what he found in the room…

"Fal'Cie." Hope said, surprised.

The room encompassed about half a mile of space. A quarter of this was taken up by a humanoid Fal'Cie. Its body was rusted, and there were holes in its armor like plates. A few exposed gears scraped against one another in a loud, fingernail on chalkboard, like sound.

The Fal'Cie was leaning back against the wall, it's once golden plate mail now tattered and ruined. One of the once magnificent creature's arms looked like it had been cut off and impaled into the wall next to it.

Massive gashes ran across its chest and head revealing some of the turning gears and flesh like metal of its insides.

"Human." A single, weak, grey eye started to glow in its helmeted head. "You have kept me long waiting Estheim." The eye flickered and faded, but remained firmly on Hope.

"Waiting?" Hope frowned at the Fal'Cie.

"Since the great war." The Fal'Cie gave a dry, pained, chuckle. "I have been here waiting. It is my purpose. To patiently record the history of the world, and maintain its balance."

"Then what happened?" Hope lowered his weapon. There was no sense of threat or danger coming from this Fal'Cie, just lingering regret.

"I didn't want to die." The Fal'Cie said simply. "My brothers sought death without my knowledge. So they came up with a plan and started the Great War. I believe your people have called it the war of transgressions. That was when my kind fell from our role as the guidance of man, to its slave keepers." The Fal'Cie's eye faded for a moment before the second one opened, leaving two grey eyes staring at Hope.

"I thought you would agree with the other Fal'Cie." Hope said. "And want to bring the maker back."

"The maker never left." The Fal'Cie slowly sat up straight; an almost pained look flickered through its eye. "The spark of life that exists in you humans is the makers presence. The same may once have been said of us, but once Cocoon fell almost every Fal'Cie died. The few remaining here on Pulse are remnants of the great war, and mostly without sentience and power." The Fal'Cie sat up and looked down at Hope. "I am the last surviving real Fal'Cie, a being made to keep the world in order, a remnant of a lost age."

"I am sorry for your loss." Hope truly pitied this creature. "But I have to ask something of you." The Fal'Cie blinked once knowingly.

"The cure to the plague." The Fal'Cie said. "I'm afraid I never knew it. I doubt that a cure exists since it was Pulses last weapon."

"There has to be." Hope's body tensed in anger, he did not come all this way for nothing. "I have to save her…"

"I understand your grief young human." The Fal'Cie said slowly, as though pondering his next words. "If you want to find a cure then the only way to do so would be to go to the Great War. There you may find a cure. But it is not an easy task. To find the cure you would have to fight and survive through much of the war." Hope nodded, if that was all he would have to do to help Lightning then he'd do it.

"And how exactly would I go back in time?" Hope cocked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"That's right." The Fal'Cie laughed again. "I haven't told you my name. I am Kairos, the keeper of time. And even in this half dead state I might be able to send you back, but you would need to be a L'Cie of power equal to the Great War to survive."

"If it means I can save Lightning." Hope holstered his boomerang and smirked confidently. "Then I'd do anything." Kairos looked down at Hope; Hope thought if Kairos had a mouth he would be smiling.

"Fine. But be warned you have never experienced pain like this. A L'Cie strong enough to survive the transportation will need a seal that only I can give." Kairos out stretched his remaining arm, hand stopping over Hope's body. "The fumetsu."

A cage of light appeared around Hope. This cage was slowly filled with a black cloud, causing Hope to thrash around screaming until he disappeared completely. Kairos's hand fell to the side a moment later, the cage breaking revealing nothing where it had once been.

"Good luck." Kairos's chest plate broke in half as a white light started to burst from his body. "You're the world's last Hope…" Kairos's grey eyes faded and the Fal'Cie fell back, making a massive crashing sound on the wall behind him. "Hehe." A light chuckle as grey eyes blinked on and off. "Hope… what a fitting name. The last hope for those forgotten." The eye faded and the Fal'Cie's arm fell limply to the floor.

Death of Fal'Cie, Death of Time.

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Disclaimer:**

**Square: Hello?**

**Me: Hey, can I get the rights to Final Fantasy XIII and an order of Lightning?**

**Square:… Heh?**

**Me: Thank you! 'hangs up'**

**Square: Weird American…**

**End Disclaimer.**

**Here we go. The infamous chapter two. Honestly I don't like it. I've rewritten it twice in a blaze of insomnia and frustration, but it still seems to not have come out quite right… then again if I was going to wait to release a chapter until I felt it had come out right then I'd never post anything. And whenever I say something about not liking it someone says they think it's great so 'shrug'**

**This chapter's shorter then the last one. Which is strange because I'm used to writing seven thousand plus word chapters, but I think this length may be more suited to the pace of the story. Though they will probably get longer as we get further into the story. Also since I am writing another story which I need to finish shorter chapters means more updates so I guess It'll even out.**

**Since I can't think of what else to say I'm going to post this and go to bed. Good night people! And if it's afternoon where you are then happy afternoon. If it's morning… your screwed, there's no such thing as a good morning. (The views expressed in this paragraph are those of a sleep deprived writer who's dog wakes him at three in the morning and does not necasarily reflect a more awake writers view point)**


	3. Rain, the White Death

Darkness, silence, cold. This is what Hope felt and saw as he floated weightlessly through a void of nothing. Hope tried to twist and move around. But he couldn't tell if he had actually moved or if his thrashing about had only made him feel tired.

Yes, that was the other thing. His body was starting to feel tired and worn down. It was strange since he was one of the physically strongest people in the new world, so growing tired from just floating around was just wrong.

But that wasn't as strange, or wrong, as the grey lights that started to form around him. They're bright glow blinded his eyes temporarily before he could focus on them.

They were no larger then a volley ball and seemed to be perfect spheres. Inside of each sphere was what looked like bright swirling silver lines that took no definite shape or form.

_What are those?_ Hope slowly reached out a hand towards them. It felt like he was moving through some kind of barrier. And as the tip of his finger touched it the ball of light moved over his hand. Hope smiled, thinking it was kind of interesting, a moment before unbearable pain shot through his arm. This pain was intensified as the balls of light all started to converge on his arm, soon covering it up to his shoulder in blinding grey light.

Hope just screamed as the pain heightened even further. At least he thought he was screaming, he couldn't really hear anything. Not that it mattered, he ran out of breath to scream after a few moments and could only pant and groan as he tried desperately to force air into his throbbing lungs.

Precious air that was forced from his body as his arm seemed to explode. The pain ripped through him, worse than anything he had ever experienced as an L'Cie. It was like his entire being was being taken apart atom by atom.

It was fortunate that this particular feeling lasted only a second. And as this latest pain faded his body merely felt numb as he floated next to a sea of red blood drops that came from his ripped apart arm.

"Where's the vision." Hope asked slowly, not expecting an answer but deciding he had nothing to lose from asking.

However a sort of answer did arrive. In the form of the focus dream.

All he could see was a sky filled with blood. A dark moon in the sky and a humanoid shape with white wings unfolding from its lithe, feminine, body. Then slowly a blood stained yellow eye opened and stared down at him.

Hope was filled with a sense of dread as he stared up at the eye…

And then it was gone.

The pain, the silence, the darkness. They all faded as Hope felt wind rush against his face and the world flooded with bright light.

Hope smiled as he felt air rush against his skin. The air made his arm feel better and he soon smiled and looked up at the source… or rather down.

Above Hope's head was a cloud layer. And below that he could just make out Pulse. This meant he was…

_Falling. I'm falling! How did that happen?_ Hope's eyes went wide as he easily spun into a spread eagle position to slow down his decent. Not that he thought it would do him much good when he did, eventually, hit the ground.

_I'm not just about to die, I'm going to die and become a fine paste on impact!_ Hope cast the grisly image from his mind as he studied the distant planet, trying to find somewhere safe to land.

However safe was the last thing he saw. He could make out distant explosions and points of bright gunfire coming from the ground bellow. It took him a moment, but Hope realized he was seeing a massive battle unfold across Pulses plains.

Of course there wasn't just a battle on the ground. Hope's eye's caught sight of hundreds of thousands of airships in Cocoons silver and white design and Pulses dark brown and black one. Beam weapons were fired between the massive battle ships, the smallest being at least two and a half miles long and fifteen stories tall.

And then the fighters. They were innumerable, deftly flying through the air and shooting thin energy beams at one another. Occasionally one would get hit and its curved body would explode violently, leaving a black cloud and falling debris behind.

_It's a war._ The reflection of gunfire and explosions could be seen in Hope's eyes. _No, not just any war. This is what the war of transgressions, the biggest conflict in history, must have looked like._

Hope's thoughts were cut off as two Cocoon fighters pulled up. Heading straight for him.

_Ah crap._ The fighters opened fire making Hope twist through the air. The bullets passed close by, one making a hole in his scarf, as he rolled out of the way. The fighters blew past him, one on either side, and started to make a wide turn for another attack.

"Some greeting." Hope muttered as he made his body streamlined, moving downwards as fast as possible.

Of course the fighters were faster. The two had a bead on him again, their bullets filling the air around him. Hope tried to keep moving and dodging, but a round violently tore into his right shoulder sending a spray of blood upwards.

The makers luck was however with him as the red splash hit the cockpit of one of the fighters, preventing it's occupant from keeping an accurate lock on Hope. But that was one fighter; the other wasn't so easily dealt with.

"I have to do something…" Hope's right arm tingled causing him to look down at it.

From the tatters of his shirt he could make out silver, metal like, lines running across his arm in an odd angular way. And on his wrist, where his original L'Cie mark had been, was an open blue eye with a white pupil.

Hope would have looked at it longer, but as a bullet passed through his hair, leaving a small wound on the top of his head, he decided that he had something more important to attend to.

Hope kept moving but he wasn't as agile as the fighter and it eventually fired a shot straight for Hope's chest. A wave of dread gripped Hope as his mind just managed to register the fatal blow. This wave of dread was replaced by boundless relief as the bullet hit a nearly invisible blue shield, crushing into a disk and bouncing harmlessly away.

_I'm really a L'Cie again._ Hope thought as he recognized the protect spell that covered his body. _Which means I should have my powers from before…?_

"Be gone." Hope waved his right arm, intending to send a destabilizing gust of wind.

Instead of the strong gust he meant to use, a limb tearing burst of wind shot from Hope's hand, the air decompressing around Hope as it flew away, causing him to lose his hearing for a moment. The wind hit the fighter and cut deep gashes in its metal hull before throwing it, like a child's toy, into the distance.

Hope blinked a few times in surprise. He didn't remember ever being that strong as an L'Cie. But then again this mark covered his arm, that couldn't be a normal mark. Not by a long shot.

Of course worrying about just how strong he was vanished from Hope's mind as he looked back down. He was falling straight towards a Cocoon warship, and it had started opening fire on him with beam weapons and anti air guns.

"My luck sucks!" Hope shouted to the wind as he concentrated on his protect spell. The normally blue field turned white as he poured his mind into it.

Hope didn't have time to think about it too much as the first beam hit it. A massive explosion filled the sky, black smoke and red flames the only things that could be seen from where Hope had been. The first explosion was followed by three more as other beam cannons fired, which turned the large black cloud into a sun blocking cloud of spent energy and burnt ozone.

A second later Hope fell out of the bottom of the cloud and towards the ship. Blood flowed from his left shoulder where it looked like it had been burned from the explosive blast. But Hope couldn't stop and concentrate it on it as bullets filled the air all around him.

Hope used wind magic to propel himself left and right, weaving between bullet streams. He quickly descended towards the ship and hit the curved side. Thanks to the previous explosion with the beam cannons his momentum was slowed enough where he survived and was able to roll off the side and leap towards the not so distant ground.

Hope swallowed as the ground grew dark from the blast cloud behind him. He could tell he was falling down towards a fire fight. He could see a few muzzle flashes and thirty or forty retreating humans. From the way they ran Hope assumed they were afraid, but when he looked he couldn't see anything menacing…

Not that a human is capable of seeing much detail as the ground rushes at him, especially when he doesn't have a parachute to save himself with.

_I'm going to die._ Hope twirled dangerously through the air, not really able to control his fall any longer. _And then Lightning will die, and when she meets me up there she'll kick me in the stones. Yep that's right, I'm going to spend my afterlife getting kicked in the stones by Lightning… what a way to go…_

As Hope fell he did the only thing he could think of. Send an ice spell into the ground and hope it made a slide for him to go down, and hopefully go down safely.

This more or less worked as he hit the ice hard with his burnt arm. With an exclamation of pain he bounced off the ice and landed on the lush, soft, grass with a loud thud. Hope groaned and rolled over, clutching his shoulder painfully.

Of course fate didn't seem about to let him off that easily. As Hope started to stand the tip of a spear was put in his face, pressed lightly against his nose.

"Who are you?" It was a familiar voice.

Hope glanced up to see a familiar head of wavy brown hair, with purple claw earrings and a beauty mark under her eye. A trade mark blue sari wrap and confident, dare Hope think sexy, smirk.

"Fang." Hope breathed, as though he was seeing a ghost. Fang just frowned down at him.

"How do you know my name?" Fang narrowed her eyes and pressed the tip of the spear just a little harder against his nose, drawing a slow trickle of blood.

"You wouldn't really believe me if I told you…" Hope muttered, which caused Fang to growl at him. "Seriously you won't believe me!"

Fang drew her spear back, probably about to impale Hope. Hope merely swallowed, he could fight but if he hurt Fang then what would their adventure turn into? On the other hand if he didn't do anything he would be brutally murdered…

Fortunately the decision turned out to not be his. The massive ice spire he had slid down suddenly exploded as a gunshot, louder than any cannon could ever be, echoed across the battlefield. Fang leapt back, and with one last glance at Hope, ran away with her ally's.

Hope on the other hand was mesmerized as a single bullet, wider around then his body and half as long, blew through the ice and passed with centimeters of his head. It hit the ground behind him, as the fine ice dust fell, and exploded. The concussive wave of the round blew Hope's scarf and hair as his back was assaulted by an intense heat, which he was sure would leave some kind of burn.

"Damn." Hope could see a figure approach through the ice, now turned to powdery snow, storm. "I missed."

A shell casing that was considerably bigger than the bullet ejected out of her sword. Hope swallowed as he took in the enormity of the blade.

It was over six feet long and was a one sided blade. The flat side was almost four feet across, perfectly smooth and without blemish. From the top of the flat to the edge of the blade was probably five feet long, meaning it was big enough to hide behind. The tip of the blade had slid back to revealed massive cannon like barrel, pointing towards Hope.

It was then that Hope realized what he was looking at. A gunblade.

Though this one was unique. The handle merely twisted down which engaged the cannon, because Hope couldn't bear to call 'that' a gun, and allowed it to be fired.

"What? You aren't going to run?" The figure's voice was strong, though oddly feminine.

Hope looked past the blade at its wielder. It was a five six human. Dressed in dark brown leather breaches tucked into black boots with leather straps running across them. On the figures right thigh a red pouch was securely tied, in a familiar style.

His, because they were was no way in hell a female could hold that weapon, upper body was dressed in a strange white jacket. First off silver rain drops were sewn along its length, blending in with a black chain design that ran between them. The right arm, which held the sword, was tied tightly with gauze like bandages, keeping the jacket pressed against the completely covered arm. The left was a normal jacket, which ended at a hand covered in a black glove.

However what was the strangest part was the hood. It came over head like a normal hoody, but then there was a flap that came down and covered the face, latching onto the white jacket with silver metal hooks. The hood had a single slit which a fierce, deadly, blue eye could be seen glaring out from.

"I'm afraid I don't run." Hope drew his boomerang and glared back at the skinny figure. "If I did my teacher would skin me alive, and I'm more afraid of her then I am of you." The figure sniggered and with a flick of the rest flipped the gunblade to blade form.

"What's your name?" The figure asked as he settled into a combat stance.

"Hope, Hope Estheim." Hope readied himself as well; he could tell this fight was going to be close. "What's yours?"

"I am known by you Pulsian animals as White Death." He sounded like he was smiling. "But you can call me Rain. Because I am the Rain that washes you away, your sins, your life, your dreams. They will all be gone as I come upon you…" Rain's legs tensed as he prepared to leap forward. "And I will wash you away!"

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Here we go again. This chapter is so stupidly short... But if included more then it would get very big, very fast. 'sigh' Hopefully (no pun intended, his name is just unfortunate) since the next chapter is mostly a fight scene I'll be able to write it faster. For some reason It's easier to write fight scenes then it is anything else…**

**Since I'm a moron and haven't been doing this all along here we go.**

**Thank you: Pulse99, KHVenom2990, Tear of Light and kstar orange for reviewing. I know I should have already said this, but like the lame dude that I am I forgot, very sorry.**

**The next chapter I expect will be released by Sunday, probably close to midnight since that's when I have free reign over the computer (I have a little bit of insomnia, can't sleep until after twelve- one at night) maybe sooner. A buddy of mine convinced me to continue something original I started a few years ago, and if I do it right I think I just might be able to get it published in a year or two. So I owe him about a thousand words a week.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Chazz: Oi do I own it yet.**

**Square Enix: Eh? You haven't given up yet?**

**Chazz: A man never gives up!**

**Square: I see, you've been watching to much Gurren Laggan again, haven't you.**

**Chazz: …**

**Square: He doesn't Gurren Laggan either. Now good by 'slams phone down'**

**Chazz: …I'm not giving up! 'stomach grumbles' Okay I give up, but just until after dinner…**

**Huh, now I need something to say in goodby… I guess I could just say by… or adios… Or I could just say….**

**Laters!**


	4. Eyepatch's and Tears

"I will wash you away!"

In a blinding motion Rain moved through the air, as though he was gliding on water. The six foot long blade flashed through like lightning at Hope's stomach.

Hope barely managed to block with his boomerang, the massive blade sliding across it and over his head. Hope lashed out with his foot, but Rain nimbly leapt backwards, away from Hope.

However Hope wasn't about to let him get away that easily. With a fast, low, jump Hope came at him, boomerang folding out into a long blade.

"Heh." Rain blocked and the two started exchanging blows. As the weapons collided in a fast, deadly, dance sparks fell all around them. "You're not bad…" Rain swung down at Hope's head, Hope blocked easily, but left himself open. "But I'm better!"

A fist covered in lightning slammed into his gut. The smell of sizzling fabric and flesh briefly filled the air as Hope was sent flying backwards. His left foot touched the earth and he hit the ground in a dangerous, painful, roll.

Rain took advantage of this. While Hope was rolling away he flipped the weapon down into gun mode and fired.

Hope could hear the sonic boom the round created as it left the barrel. And in a motion only possible for the strongest L'Cie he brought his blade and swung at the bullet.

The sword hit the bullet square in the center. Hope's arms shook from the force the round placed on his sword and only after a moment did it cut through the bullet, sending sparks and metal chips flying in all directions as the round split in two, the two halves touching either side of Hope's head as they passed by.

However the force of the projectile was imparted from the bullet and into Hope. He flipped over backwards and in a feat of cat like agility landed safely on his feet, flipping blade to boomerang.

With a mighty twist of the wrist and thrust of the arm the massive boomerang was sent soaring through the air almost as fast as the bullet.

Rain sidestepped the weapon and raised his gunblade up to finish Hope off with one last shell. However there is something that everyone seems to forget about a boomerang, it comes back.

The boomerang spun around Rain's head, missing decapitating him by inches, and smacked the back of the gunblade hard. With a resounding crack the weapon was speared into the ground where a round discharged covering Rain in a dirt cloud.

"Damn." Rain growled as he stumbled out of the dust cloud, and into Hope's fist.

The punch landed squarely on the figures forehead, snapping Rain's head back and causing him to lose his balance. As Rain stumbled he swung his massive blade at the weaponless Hope. Unfortunately Hope was trained by perhaps the most ruthless person in history, Lightning.

Hope's right hand shot out and grabbed the top of the blade. Then in a graceful motion he flipped over the blade and delivered a spin kick to Rain's upper chest. With a resounding thud sound Rain was sent soaring backwards, sword slipping from his grasp and limbs flailing.

Rain hit the ground and bounced once. While he was in the air from the bounce he curled his body and landed easily on his feet, sliding almost a yard in the loose earth.

"You shit." Rain's blue eye narrowed dangerously. "You disarmed me. Fine, I guess I can unleash the flood upon you." Hope could see a faint glow radiate out through Rain's jacket. It was a moment later that he could make out glowing, angular, lines trailing all across his stomach and upper chest.

Hope noticed something odd about Rain; especially about his upper chest... his shape was odd. To thin around the mid stomach. And the light coming from his chest seemed dimmed, like it was going through more fabric…

Whatever was odd about this Rain's character was quickly forgotten as he moved. Hope's eyes couldn't track him as he physically disappeared. However Hope could see a blue glowing blur that must have been his eye.

Hope only had a second to tense his muscles in defense before a booted foot slammed into his stomach. Hope's muscular build made the blow lighter then it would have been two years ago, but it still sent him ten feet into the air. Hope spun slowly and tried to land on his feet, but failed and landed hard on his injured shoulder next to his boomerang.

"Hah!" Rain slid to a stop next to his weapon. "I guess you have the skill, but without the powers of a L'Cie you'll die against us." With an easy looking flex of muscle Rain pulled his weapon out of the ground and flipped it into blade mode.

"What do you mean one of us?" Hope rolled to his feet. "Because your just one person." And picked his boomerang up, flipping it into sword mode.

"The chosen of time." Rain's eye seemed to smirk. "The most powerful people in the world. We are the ones that will bring victory to Cocoon." Hope scoffed.

"So you would just kill all these people, and why?" Hope's brand, unbeknownst to him, had started to glow softly. "Because some Fal'Cie told you to? Don't you have the courage to make your own destiny, or are you just afraid?"

"You bastard." Rain growled. "I'm going to kill you."

The pair moved at the same time. Covering the ground between them in an instant, swords meeting in a spark filled dance. Hope's blows, fast as they were, were all blocked by the slightest of movements from the massive blade. While Rains attacks were staggering at worst, debilitating at best, making Hope practically duck under or leap over the massive sword as it whistled through the air.

Hope ducked under the blade, he could feel it just glide over his shirt and the cool metal touch his skin. And as the blade passed by him he spun low and fast, shooting a hand out towards Rains head, intent to grab his neck. Rain back stepped and Hope's fingers missed his neck and instead closed around the hood tearing it from Rain's body. And the face it revealed astounded Hope.

It was a soft face with a jaw that was perhaps a tad masculine for a face that was clearly female. With soft skin, thin lips, and a deep blue eye. Her face carried an air of power with its strong jaw and thin eyebrows.

However whatever strength her face held was replaced with something more akin to fear as one's eyes fell upon her hair. It was a dark pink color that flowed like blood in the wind. It was cut short with messy, spiky, strands and fell all around her head. As the short blood like hair fell into her blue eye you could see the eye through it.

And to make the fear even more pronounced was the eye patch that covered her left eye. It was black and had three straps, one going over her nose and behind her head, one going around the other side and the last going up into her hair causing it to stick out an odd angle.

"You're a girl." Hope sounded surprised.

"No duh dumb ass!" Rain spun fast, blade cutting into the ground as she did so.

"Hey wait!" Hope put the flat of his sword against his shoulder and just managed to stop her blade in motion, though his feet had been forced into the damp ground a couple of inches. "I don't want to fight a girl!"

"Don't you dare look down on me." Rain hand tightened on the blade and slowly pushed Hope even further back. "I am a warrior or the Farron line; I will not lose to some Pulsian killer."

With what seemed a minor twitch of her right wrist sent Hope flying through the air. Hope spun and tried to land, but his foot caught on something and twisted violently sending him into a tumbling fit across the ground until he finally came to a sliding stop on his back.

"Die!"

A stop that had Rain jumping up above him, sword held behind her in what would become a deadly blow. Hope pulled up his boomerang and quickly threw it with an easy flick of the wrist.

The boomerang spun fast causing Rain to twist out of the way, the boomerang passed inches from her face and that was when Hope noted something very odd. A tear escaped Rain's eye as she landed.

_Is she crying?_ Hope didn't have time to get a good look as her blade flipped down to gun mode.

Hope danced back as the massive shells hit the ground around him, sending great spires of dirt and debris up into the sky. It quickly made it hard for Hope to see as he danced backwards, out of the dust cloud.

Out of the dust cloud and right next to Rain. With a snarl she swung the blade at Hope's head. Hope jumped back just barely making it, the blade cutting his duster off in the process. The cloth wrap fell from his neck and blew away on the harsh breeze.

"I'm not looking down on you." Hope swung down fast, Rain barely managed to move her blade to block the blow. "But I don't want to kill a woman. It's just not right."

"What's so different about a man and a woman?" Her eye was narrowed, like it was trying to kill him its glare.

"Aside from the obvious?" Hope said, Rain snarled and sent Hope flying back with her blade.

_Her strength is overpowering._ Hope turned in the air and slid backwards on his feet. _In a contest of physical power I can't win. But she doesn't seem to be quite as agile, if I can get her to play to my strength then I might be able to disarm her and… I'll wing it from there._

As Hope slid back Rain waved her free hand. A fast moving ball of fire flew from her fingertips and for Hope.

_That's right._ Hope extended his own hand. _I'm a L'Cie again. And Magic is also to my advantage, which means my job just got easier!_

A stream of high pressured water flew from his hands in an almost white stream. It cut through the fire ball, like a spear piercing a body, and flew at Rain with considerable power.

_Crap, I'm way stronger then I was back then!_ If that stream hit it would cut her in half.

Which was why Hope's eyes widened when Rain just smirked and punched forward with her left hand. In an explosion of wind the water was sent harmlessly into the air where it fell down on the pairs head.

Hope then swung his sword in a quick defense, blocking several large spiked ice balls that Rain had fired. The ice burst into small shards as Hope's blade deftly cut through it.

Hope retaliated with an ice barrage of his own. Which was blocked as Rain rested the flat of her blade on her shoulder and charged, using the oversized blade like an even more oversized shield. The ice hit and turned to powder as Rain's powerful legs propelled her at Hope with incredible speed.

"My luck sucks!" Hope hopped back as she swung the sword, the blade barely missing him again.

Hope kept backtracking and ducking and weaving as the giant sword always seemed two inches from lopping off a limb or two. He noted, while the blade left a scratch on the tip of his nose, that her movements whilst precise were wide. The next time she swung for his stomach he'd have about a second to attack before she recovered enough let loose another swing.

_What do I have to lose? If I keep fighting like this she'll cleave me in half eventually anyways, might as well die like a man._

Hope concentrated a burst of wind in his right heal as Rain's next swing came. Using his left foot to hop back, so he didn't trigger the magic in his right, he barely made it, the blade cutting mere centimeters into the flesh of his stomach.

"Got you!"

Hope's heal hit the ground and shot him forward at unimaginable speed. He literally disappeared from sight for a moment before a sharp, fleshy, cracking sound was hard as Hope's form reappeared, knee sinking into Rain's stomach.

Rain coughed, scarlet blood flecks flying from in between her thin, pale, lips. The blood splatters hit across Hope's right cheek as Rain's body seemed too slowly, though it was actually very quickly, leave his knee. Her arms were forced forward and a sonic boom echoed as she was propelled away from Hope.

"Ah!" Rain cried, blade still clutched tightly in her hand.

Rain hit the ground hard. As her back hit a crater exploded outwards, more than a hundred feet across in a near perfect circle.

Hope slowly walked to the edge of the crater as chunks of rock crashed back down to the earth. His weapon was held tightly in his hand, ready to be quickly used if she was still alright.

"Did I kill her?" Hope muttered as he tried to peer into the rubble. There wasn't really any sign of life, much less Rain. Hope briefly worried that he had destroyed her…

Until a round burst out from under the rubble. The massive bullet glanced his arm sending Hope spinning backwards, a thin blood spray shooting from his upper arm.

"Guess you're tougher than that." Hope muttered as Rain burst from the rocky debris and leapt at Hope.

"Let's end this." She pointed the tip of her blade forward intent on running Hope through.

"Alright then." Hope did the same, lowering the tip of his weapon and charging.

"Idiots."

In a flash of grey light a man was between Hope and Rain. His hand held Hope's blade with the tips of his fingers. He had done the same to Rain. Who was trying to get her sword free from his grasp.

"Nadja you idiot!" Rain shouted.

Nadja was tall, six two. His dark olive green trousers were tucked into white boots and fit his form well. A tight black shirt was pulled over powerful abs and toned stomach.

A dark orange and yellow jacket was left open in the front, sleeves falling easily down his arm where they met up with black leather gloves.

However the most striking feature he possessed was his face. It was pale, vampire pale, and had an air of deadly beauty about it. A deathly beauty that his bone white hair and whitish grey eyes only helped to reinforce, and then the silver angular mark that ran around from the left side of his face down his neck and into his shirt collar.

"Rain." Nadja's grey eyes seemed to slide towards her. "Look at his arm, it has the Fumetsu. The mark of immorality, just like us."

"What?" Rain glared at Hope, eye's quickly traveling down to his arm. The silver mark was pulsing softly. Rain could feel hers do the same, pulsing like a heart. "How is that possible?" She looked at Hope with narrowed eyes.

"That's what I would like to know." Nadja released the pair's blades. "You said your name was Hope, correct?"

"Yeah." Hope affirmed, still holding his weapon wearily. "And you are?"

"I am Nadja." Nadja made a formal bow. "Kinslayer. Leader Cocoon's Guardian Unit" Nadja shot a look at Rain, telling her she should introduce herself. Rain practically snarled as she looked away from the two, up at cocoon.

"I am Rain Farron. The White Death of the battlefield." She said almost begrudgingly. "Fourth in command of the Guardian Unit."

"What's the Guardian Unit?" Hope asked, sheathing his weapon since their didn't seem to be any immediate threats.

"We can explain later." Nadja turned and started walking away. "Right now it would be in our best interest to leave here. There's no telling when those Pulsian dogs will be back."

Hope nodded and fell in step behind Nadja, next to Rain. He glanced to the side, only to get a death glare from her blue eye. It sort of reminded him of Lightning, except Lightning's face wasn't quite this scary… though that may have something to do with the eye patch and blood like hair.

_So this is what Lightning's ancestor was like…_ Hope shivered and refocused his gaze forward, though he could steel feel a harsh blue eye burrowing into the side of his head with its gaze. _It must run in the blood. How else could she be just as cold as Lightning was?_

"Hey get your head out of your ass." Rain growled as she hit Hope hard in the shoulder. "If you don't pay attention we'll leave you behind." There was a threatening tone to her voice. "Or better yet I'll just kill you, you Pulsian dog."

"I'm not Pulsian." Hope growled back, something about this woman getting under his skin. "And even if I was what makes them so inferior to you?" Rain grabbed Hope by the shirt collar and pulled him close so they were nose to nose. From here Hope could see the fiery intensity of her eye.

"They attacked us. Killed our brothers and sisters." She was all but shouting at Hope. "I will never consider them anything but insects to be crushed under our heel." Hope pushed her back, giving her a hard look.

"You two can talk when we're back at base." Nadja sounded bored. "Our leader will want to meet you. And I need to give a report on the mission." Nadja's grey eye slid, Hope couldn't bear to call it anything else, towards him and stared into his soul. "Besides I want to know how someone fell out of the sky."

Hope swallowed hard. He had an uneasy feeling about this. But Kairos had said he could find a cure here. And since he was a L'Cie all he'd have to do is complete his focus and wait for Cocoon to fall. Because when Cocoon fell all the crystallized L'Cie were awakened due to the death of their Fal'Cie masters…

_Well if it's the death of the Fal'Cie that frees it's L'Cie then I might not make it._ But as Hope looked up to see the first ray of sunlight break through the black cloud he had made he knew there was no turning back. He would find the cure and get it to Lightning.

Or die trying…

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**This is what we call the fast update! It's honestly not as long as I thought it would be. I feel so lame for releasing such a short chapter a few days ago. Though maybe the quick update will earn me some forgiveness? 'dodges knives'**

**It's not the best fight scene I've ever written 'shrug.' But I liked it.  
**

**Alright so we know for sure that Rain is a girl now, though I think it was kind of obvious in the last chapter 'shrug.' And if it's not obvious by now (because I did get a few PM's over this) Hope has been sent back to the war of transgressions. A war, which if I remember correctly,was fought between Pulse and Cocoon. Which means that Rain is Lightning's ancestor. For a lot of people Nadja's decent can probably be guessed, though that will be explained in the next chapter…**

**Bah, I'm rambling again. Sorry 'sheepish grin'**

**Thank you KHVenom2990, Tear of Light, Johan07 and GeneralSeig for reviewing. You all score on awesome point! 'crickets chirp awkwardly' (that sounded way cooler in my head…)**

**Disclaimer**

**Chazz: Heh? Wait you mean I don't own Final Fantasy XIII? Square Enix does?**

**Square: Yeah. Sorry. 'is not really sorry'**

**Chazz: Can I borrow them?**

**Square: …Why not, what's the worst you could do?**

**Chazz: Evil laugh.**

**Square On second thought…**

**Until next time! 'waves goodby as he stoically walks out of the room, and trips over his own feet…'**


	5. A cold soldier and a Frosty meeting

Hope was riding double on a velocycle with Rain. At first she had been opposed, strongly opposed. Even going so far as to threaten Nadja, who merely shrugged and told her they only had two velocycle's. And that he wasn't riding with a potential threat.

Hope rubbed his shoulder where Rain had slugged him and told him if he tried anything he'd die. And with the Lightning esque way she said it Hope had no doubt that if he overstepped his bounds then he would meet a painful end.

Of course as they travelled out over the ocean Hope wasn't so worried about Rain anymore. They were heading in the direction of that island, and that Fal'Cie. Kairos.

"Hey, bastard." Rain called from the front. Hope looked up to the side of her helmeted face.

That was another odd thing. She had put her helmet on the second they got to the velocycle's. If Hope had been a less observant person he wouldn't have thought anything about it, but there was an almost desperate way with which she did it. Like she was afraid… no. Not afraid, maybe nervous? Insecure? It was something more like a mix of those.

"I have a name." Hope retorted. Rain just snorted.

"There's no reason to remember it." Hope noticed her hand clench on the handle bars almost imperceptibly tighter. "You'll die in a few weeks anyways."

"A lot of people have died on you, haven't they?" Hope placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Let go of me." Rain growled. "Or you'll regret it." Hope released her slowly. "Now don't ask questions I'll have to answer, got it bastard?"

"Yeah, yeah." Hope muttered. "So what was your question?"

"What makes you think I had a question?" Rain turned her head just enough to give Hope a sideways glance through her helmets darkened visor.

"So you don't?" Hope countered.

"Bastard…" Rain looked back ahead, and then almost hesitantly asked. "How did you get that mark? Only an L'Cie marked by Kairos has the Fumetsu. And here you are, an L'Cie I've never met before, and you have a mark that only the strongest warriors in existence posses." She sounded almost accusatory. "And I want to know how someone like you received it."

_Well this is going to sound interesting._ Hope couldn't help but smile at the thought. _Hi, my names Hope Estheim and I'm from the future where we crashed Cocoon into Pulse and started a new civilization. And then my best friend came down with a terrible disease so Kairos sent me back in time to see if I could find a cure, oh and you're her ancestor. I hope we can get along? She'd shoot me, if I was lucky._

"I'm waiting." Rain said impatiently.

"Let's just call it a long story." Hope said. "And leave it at that." Rain glanced back at him again. Hope could feel her eyes staring out of the white helmets black visor, his spine tingled at what he knew was an intense gaze. "Well if I can't pry into your life you can't pry into mine." Hope reasoned.

"Stupid bastard." Rain muttered before looking ahead again. "We'll be at the island in a few hours. I should tell you to hang on, but I don't trust you to touch me." Rain informed matter of factly.

"You know I'm not a pervert." Hope sighed, head tilting towards his shoulder.

Rain didn't respond. Instead she seemed to be tuning him out. Hope stared at the back of her head, trying to figure out what was going on under that helmet. But gave up when her stiff, soldierly, posture hadn't changed for at least five minutes.

_She's like a grumpy Lightning… on steroids… when she's PMSing… and I did something stupid like break her gunblade, again…_ Hope shook his head violently to get rid of the rather frightening mental image. But even with the image banished from his mind he couldn't help but think it was a fitting comparison.

_Then what made her like that?_ Hope put his chin between thumb and pointer finger in a thoughtful gesture, eyes staring at Rain's exposed neck. _Lightning was like that because her parents died. But this, this is so much worse. What could have happened?..._ A drop of moister fell through the air and hit Hope in the cheek. It was there for a moment, and then gone with the wind.

Hope looked up, expecting to see rainclouds in the overcast sky. But instead he found a few puffy white clouds covering the sun, which gave the air a pleasant coolness in the strong breeze.

"Hope." Nadja called, pulling Hope from his thoughts, as he pulled up beside them. "We will arrive at the base soon. From there you will accompany me and Rain to see Kairos."

"Understood." Hope called back. "Can I ask a question?"

"Go ahead." Nadja shouted to be heard over the wind.

"Why did you bring me with you? I mean I was fighting Rain, and it was a pretty close battle so." Hope shrugged.

"Do you see this mark upon your arm?" Nadja pointed at Hope's branded arm. "This is the Fumetsu. It means immortal and binds all with this brand together. Give it time to develop and you will be able to sense others with this mark. Depending on your magic capacity you may even be able to communicate or more." Nadja had a slow, vampiric, smile.

"Then why didn't Rain sense me?" Hope pointed out, earning him a helmeted glare from the woman in question.

"She act's before she thinks. It's a wonder she calmed down so fast." Nadja shrugged and veered his cycle off, but not before Hope and Rain caught the words. "I guess she took a liking to you. Or at least the passion you wield your blade with…"

"Nadja!" Rain reached for her sword, which was magnetically attached to the side of the velocycle. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Hey." Hope grabbed her right wrist, his hand feeling something hard under the cloth bandages that covered it. "Chill out." Rain threw Hope's arm off. She clenched her fist and Hope knew she was about to slug him, and then toss him off the velocycle to drown in the sea.

But she didn't. Her hand unclenched, she called him a bastard, and returned to driving.

Nadja watched the exchange and silently smiled. This Hope person was interesting. And he was something Nadja's unit didn't have yet, which was a good thing considering the general rowdiness of his unit.

Honestly if Kairos didn't say otherwise Nadja would throw his whole squad into the ocean and leave them to fend for themselves. Or course throwing Rain off the side of an airship, or maker forbid a velocycle, would probably be more trouble than it was worth anyways.

_Doesn't matter._ Nadja revved the engine a few times, loving the sound of an obedient well oiled machine. _As long as Rain plays her part we will get along. Now the only person I need to worry about is this Hope. But I'll figure him out, very soon._

"Hey Rain." Hope tapped her on the shoulder.

"Is it something important, bastard?" Rain asked tersely.

"What's that?" Hope pointed up at the distant clouds.

"Heh?" Rain stared up, her darkened visor allowing her to look up at the sun easier, and what she saw made her tense. "Those are Pulsian vessels."

Hiding in front of the sun were three large Pulsian warships. Their curved hulls bathed in a naturally reflective metal, making them nearly impossible to spot against the setting sun.

"They're heading towards the island!" Rain revved the engine and pressed slipped a switch. "Hang on to me, I've just released the limiter." A moment later the velocycle burst through the air, a sonic boom echoing out behind it.

"Gah!" Hope screamed and wrapped his arms around Rain as fast as he could. His arms came around her slender waist, which was far less muscular then Hope had thought, and buried his head into her right shoulder. His chin rested on those bandages and there it was again, that unusual hardness.

"I told you to hang on." Rains amused voice carried easily with the wind to Hope's ear.

"Didn't have enough warning." Hope shouted back, and oddly Rain heard him.

"Whatever…"

The island quickly came into view as Rain sped across the sky. The island wasn't too much different from when Hope had seen it, save there were a few buildings and massive stacks of crates scattered across it. It looked every bit the part of a military base, there were even soldiers running around on it though Hope didn't recognize the uniform.

Each soldier wore individualized clothing of course, but the base uniform was the same. Black boots with grey trousers. Loose grey shirts and a white coat. Each soldier had a slightly different design, some boots had silver straps, some jackets were vest, but the basic color scheme and uniform were the same.

So why then were Rain and Nadja dressed different?

Hope didn't get a chance to think about as the first of a series of energy beams fell from the sky. The attacks went wide and sent plumes of water and steam hundreds of feet into the air.

"Damn it…" Rain moved the velocycle to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the energy beams.

The bluish grey beam hit the water to their side and covered the pair in water.

"What's going on?" Hope shouted as another energy beam crashed into the water by them.

"Pulsian war ships." Rain growled. "They must have followed the sun, kept hidden under it. And now they're attacking Kairos's base…"

Rain was cut short as one of the beams struck in front of them. The water rushed into the air under the velocycle, sending it flipping into the air. Hope was thrown from the machine, body spinning uncontrollably through the air.

"Stupid bastard…"

Hope closed his eyes as the water rushed up at him. There was no way he was going to be able to stay afloat, and at this speed he could very well break a limb on impact. However the hard impact didn't come. Instead an arm wrapped around his waist and Hope hit a soft body instead of the water.

"Hey open your eyes!" Rain was shouting.

Rain had grabbed Hope with her left arm and hit the water with her right shoulder. It was a loud thud, but without the smack skin would normally make when it impacted water.

"You better start swimming idiot or I'll let you drown." Rain kicked Hope in the rear away from her.

"T-thanks!" Hope replied as he got his bearings. "I thought I was going to die."

"Then I should have let you." Rain muttered as she watched the velocycle crash into the island. "At least my swords safe…"

Rain was cut off as another energy beam hit the water near them. The pair swam towards the shore as fast as possible; deciding that staying in the middle of the ocean for no reason was probably a death wish.

"Hey Rain, that you?" A laughing female voice called as they pulled themselves up on to the shore. "And who's the cute guy over there?"

Hope looked up at the speaker and froze with wide eyes. To start this woman was tall, at least six feet in height. Her light blond hair fell down into her strong, yet feminine, face. It poked out from under a black bandana that rested low on her face, just above her blue eyes.

A long beige trench coat was worn over a blue shirt. Around her neck was a shield with a cat on it, reminiscent of the NORA necklaces Snow wore. Her hands were covered by black gloves.

Dark grey pants were tucked into large grey boots. And then that blue scarf that hung down from her belt, gently covering her left leg…

_It's a female Snow…_ Hope covered his eyes and buried his head in the sand, he felt like throwing up as a female version of Snow occupied his thoughts and memory's. _I'll never look at Snow the same way again…_

"Hey what's wrong with him?" The woman asked as she jogged towards a pile of crates.

"I don't know Frost." Rain kicked Hope in the side, forcing him to roll over. "But he's pretty frigin useless."

Frost shrugged as she tore the lid off a crate. Then her lips curled up into what Hope knew as a 'hero' grin.

"Rain they've got those new type Y's I wanted." Frost shouted, a beam hit a distant spot on the island.

"Just shut up and use them." Rain pulled her sword out of the ground, glancing at the dust cloud the beam had stirred up.

Frost pulled what can only be described as a massive gun from the crate. It was easily ten feet long including its chain gun like barrel. The trigger seemed small compared to the three foot wide back of the gun. It's black metal shinning under the sun, revealing a few custom designs and a foot long magazine attached to the side.

"W-what kind of gun is that!" Hope exclaimed as she effortlessly wielded it with on hand, reaching into the opened crate to pull another out.

"These are model Y anti aircraft guns. The ones they normally attach to ships." Frost looked up as Pulsian fighters descended down towards the island. "But I had a pair modified for my personal use, you like 'em don't you?" There was a devilish hint to her 'hero' smirk. "Just jealous that mine's bigger than yours, aren't you?"

And with that she depressed the trigger on the gun. An almost continuous stream of spent shells ejected out the side as the air was filled with thousands of bullets.

These guns may be meant for airships, but wielded by Frost there was on massive advantage. Her arms moved faster than the motors that were responsible for aiming the guns on airships.

Like a sword made of a bullet stream she sliced a fighter in half. The Pulsian craft started to descend before it exploded into a cloud of debris and smoke.

"Pulse is no match for us." Frost said confidently.

Rain responded with a disdainful grunt as she lifted the mighty gunblade with her right arm. Then with several quick presses of the trigger fills the air with exploding fighters.

"Or maybe it's you they're no match for." Frost swallowed and pulled at the trench coats collar. "Scary as always."

Rain tsks and looks up at the sky. The Pulsian warships had started a slow descent. Their beam weapons striking with more and more accuracy.

"Where's Kairos? Shouldn't he stop those 'thing's' from setting foot here." Rain growls.

"He's on his way." Nadja informs as his velocycle lands and he gracefully dismounts. "Just be patient…"

And almost as if on cue the sky above the island is filled with a swirly grey mist.

"Ah, Pulsian's." It was the voice of Kairos. "To so boldly come against me is to wish for death." The mist cleared leaving Kairos floating in the air.

His armor gleamed a brilliant gold and silver. The armor inscribed with what was probably millions of words written in ancient script.

The inscriptions ran from his golden breast plate down to his silver greaves. Even across the single gear that protruded from his right shoulder plate and shone blindly bright under the now clear sky.

Then there was the helmet. It was a simple design with two eye holes and a grated mouth piece. But the splendor of the dark silver helm came from the two brilliant, vibrant, grey eyes that looked through it. They're beauty almost beyond the words to describe.

"Then if death is thy wish it shall be granted."

Kairos extended his right arm and a ring of glowing white words surrounding it, moving quickly to his hand. The ring contracted on his palm and a white beam shot out from the clenched fist like a sword.

And with the merest waave of the Fal'Cie's hand the blade slashed across the sky. For a moment it was like the heavens had been torn open, the blue sky temporarily seemed to bleed white. And then it was filled with loud explosions as the Pulsian Warships were torn apart.

Hope blinked and looked up at Kairos. This wasn't the half dead Fal'Cie he had met. With the sun shining on his armor, giving him an almost celestial look, Hope shivered. This was something more akin to a God. Shinning in the glory of battle.

"Nadja I will rest now." Kairos turned his head towards the man in question. "Meet me in my chambers."

And with grey mist surrounded the Fal'Cie, a few moments later he disappeared completely amongst the mist.

"Come on." Nadja pulled Hope to his feet. "It's time for you to meet the Fal'Cie of time." There was something sinister about Nadja's smirk and the gleam in his eyes.

Hope glanced at Nadja. He didn't have a good feeling about this. But as long as there was a chance he could save Lightning then he'd do anything.

"Hey this guy's with you?" Frost asked as she fell in step beside Hope. "That means he's on our side right?" She glanced at Rain.

"Don't lump me in with 'that.'" Rain growled, shooting a glare at Hope. "He's only with us because Nadja told me I couldn't kill him."

"Hey what'd you do to piss sis off?" Frost whispers to Hope. Rain turns her head and growls at Frost.

"I'm not your damn sister so stop calling me that." Rain warns.

"Ah come on." Frost pouts, which isn't very effective on Rain. "You're like the little sister I never had."

"Villiers." Rain mutters before storming off. Frost sighs and smiles warmly at Hope.

"Don't mind her." Frost says. "She's cold, abrasive and generally pissed off. But deep down she cares…" Frost frowned and tilted her head to the side, a gesture of thought. "Actually maybe care isn't the right word. Deep down she tolerates, yeah that's a better way to put it."

"Don't worry, I'm used to it." Hope said.

"Wait so you knew lil sis before now?" Frost looked at Hope suspiciously.

"No." Hope raised his hands up in surrender as the pair started down the stairs, going to the underground base. "But let's just say I knew someone like that."

"Should I be sorry for you?" Frost asked, smiling again.

"No." Hope looked up the ceiling, noting the lights were vibrant and life filled. "I'm glad to have known her."

The group came out to the first room, and Hope stopped in amazement. The room was filled with large Crusader type machines.

They were bathed in grey armor with gold lines. Each one had a different crest on its shoulder and a massive sword lashed to the back. The left arms from the elbow down were large, long, guns.

The cockpit of the humanoid vehicles was open. Inside a human would stand with his limbs sticking into that of the Crusaders.

Velocycle's and fighters with a similar paint schemes were also parked. But none of that could compare with what took a quarter of the mile wide space.

An airship was parked. Gun ports stood on all sides of the ship and seemed to be warning Hope that it was about to open fire from the needle like guns that ran along its body.

_So this is what the traps were made from._ Hope mused as he looked around. _But how exactly do they deploy these craft?_

Almost as if in answer the roof slid aside, some water spilling down into the pit, letting a pair of velocycle's land.

Since water had fallen in Hope knew this room was exactly under the island. It was very likely part of it was under the ocean.

"Get your head out of your ass and move." Rain shouted from across the room.

"Hey be nice to him." Frost defended, though she gave Hope a gentle push forwards. "This must all be pretty new to him."

"Whatever." Rain walked on ahead.

"Don't put too much stock in her moods." Nadja said as he walked after her. "It's nothing personal, she genuinely hate's everyone."

"Why do I not feel better?" Hope muttered as he followed them.

The group walked down the large hallway. Scores of soldiers were running back and forth. Most of them seemed to be smiling and talking enthusiastically about something. But about what Hope wasn't certain.

"So where you from mister silver hair." Frost asked with a grin.

"Palumpolum." Hope answered after a moment of thought. "How about you?" Frost grinned.

"Bodhum." She sounded happy. "It's where my family's lived for generations. You ought to see our reunions. They're a couple dozen Villiers out there. Man it's a blast."

_Snow would have a heart attack._ Hope thought. _He always wanted a big family…_

Hope was pulled from his thoughts as they entered a large room. This one he recognized.

The room was a massive octagonal shape. And in the middle a large circular couch, with maroon upholstery, was sunken into the floor so when you sat on it your head would be ground level.

Three semi circle clusters of six foot tall glass displays were spread throughout the room. These were control consoles, and judging by the number of men constantly checking and fiddling with them they were important control consoles.

Of course the most impressive thing about the place was that above the couch, on a ceiling mounted steel stand, were eight large monitors. Attached to the back of each monitor was a helmet, connected to the TV by a long tether like wire.

"This is the command center." Nadja said as he led Hope around it. "Those consoles over there are split into three sections. Section one is communication regulation and monitoring. Section two is the command center for our soldiers and section three is for maintenance information and schedules."

Hope nodded as he looked around the room. He could see dozens of hallways the led into other areas of the base. A part of him was just itching to go explore…

"Those helmets up there." Nadja gestured broadly at the helmets suspended above the couch. "Are for our VR pilots. It allows them to control a fighter without risking their lives. And since a human isn't involved the fighters can be made to endure much more strenuous maneuvers. A very big, and expensive, edge over Pulse."

"Why are you telling him all this?" Rain looked at Hope, helmet still on her head. "He could be a traitor."

"If he is Kairos will know." Nadja glanced at Hope, grey eyes filling with a deathly delight. "And I'll kill him personally. But I'm sure Hope here isn't a traitor, or you Hope?" Hope shook his head. "Well that clears that up…"

"He scares me sometimes." Frost patted Hope hard on the back. "But don't worry; he's really a good person under that scary mask."

Hope wasn't so sure about that. After all it seemed the only people, aside from Frost, he had met since coming back in time were really scary. But maybe frost was right? And maybe chickens laid golden eggs to…

It didn't matter as Hope walked down the hallway he knew led to Kairos's chamber. The light shone brightly, speaking of life and vitality. And as Hope and the others stopped outside ornate golden doors, beyond which was an even more ornate Fal'Cie, Hope couldn't help but wonder. What happened here? What could possibly do so much damage so that this place would look like nothing more than a battered old ruin?

Hope didn't know. But as he reached to push the door open he couldn't help but pray he wasn't here to find out…

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Another short chapter… and it's a sort of kind of, almost, cliff hangar at that 'sigh' Most of you guys don't seem to have a problem with this kind of chapter ending so I don't feel to bad using it, of course if you guys don't like it tell me. The worst that'll happen is chapters will take a few extra days so I can make 'em longer.**

**And I apologize for those of you mentally scarred because a of the mental image of a female Snow. Just remember, no matter how much Frost weirded you out just know that I had to make her up and imagine just how that would work.**

**But maybe getting to see a revitalized Kairos was worth it? I don't know how it turned out but I enjoyed writing that. I've kind of always had a love for giant humanoid robot like things… though then again that might be a guy thing…**

**Eh, I could rant but let's be honest. You'd rather me spend the words I put into my rant and write something else, wouldn't you? 'sigh's an says dramatically' Such slave drivers… :)**

**Disclaimer.**

**I should write a song about how Square Enix holds the rights to final fantasy XIII and how much I think that sucks and I should have them… and for those of you who think I'm kidding I'll do it. Just wait I'll post 'the disclaimer song' and their you'll be… I wonder what category that would be under, Parody? Humor? I don't see a 'bad idea' category so… 'shrug.'**


	6. Hope's new clothes: Are those tears?

The door pushed inwards easily as Hope gave it a gentle shove. It opened wide revealing a surprising sight.

What had been little more than a dark, death filled, chamber the first time Hope saw it was now vibrant and alive. On the far end of the room Kairos sat on a throne like some kind of God.

The throne was made of a greenish crystal that rose up to comfortably sit his massive form. A pale light emanated from the throne and shone on the walls in white designs. These white designs were gears and clocks, moving in different directions at varying speeds, complete with their own ticking and tocking.

And then there was Kairos himself. With one elbow propped on the chair, palm supporting his head, he looked tired. Or perhaps thoughtful, Hope wasn't sure which.

"Nadja, Rain. Welcome back, I see you've brought… a street rat perhaps?" Kairos's grey eyes looked at Hope's tattered clothing and scarred body, his mark hidden by afore mentioned tatters. "I hope you have a purpose in bringing him here. Because we have no time to pity the weak and unfortunate." Kairos's voice was strong, commanding even and spoken slowly as though he had all the time in the world at his disposal. And Hope briefly wondered if he indeed did.

"Actually we were thinking you could tell us who he is." Nadja grabbed Hope's arm and lifted it up. "Because he has been branded by you."

The room was silent as Kairos leaned forward slightly, as though to get a better look. Hope was sure an eternity passed with Kairos staring at him, those cold eyes burning holes in the very fabric of his soul. But, in all actuality, it was really a few moments before Kairos leaned back and allowed his arms to rest his throne once again.

"Leave us." Kairos commanded Rain and Nadja. "I wish to speak with this one alone."

"What?" Rain moved her helmeted to glare at Hope. "What if he's a terrorist, or a spy? We can't trust him to be left alone…" Kairos slowly waved a hand dismissively, earning him a glare from Rain.

"One such as you is in no position to doubt my power." Kairos said, eyes never leaving Hope. "If he is a threat I am more the capable of dealing with him."

"But…" Rain started but was stopped as Nadja grabbed the back of her jacket as he passed. "Let me go you deathly pale bastard!" She started yelling and thrashing about, but unless she took of the jacket she had no choice but to let Nadja drag her out of the room.

"I'm afraid letting you go would be troublesome." Nadja sounded tired. "And I'm in no mood for more work right now…"

"Hope, you bastard!" Rain yelled as the doors started to move behind her. "When Kairos is done with you I'm going to kick you're…" And she was cut off as the doors closed with a booming sound.

A booming sound followed by Kairos's dry chuckles. Hope looked to the Fal'Cie confused; he didn't know they could laugh.

Of course the laughter didn't last long. Almost as swiftly as it came it faded making the only sound in the room Hope's measured breathing and the tick and click of Kairos's body.

"What is your name blessed L'Cie?" Kairos asked after a moment.

"I am Hope Estheim." Hope said.

"Estheim. Odd, the Estheim clan is known for brown hair. Though you're facial structure and green eyes seem to be common traits. But the hair, that is an Auran trait." Kairos leaned forward interestedly. "I assume then you are from the future then." More of a statement then a question really.

"Yeah, I think so." Hope rubbed his temples. "Honestly this whole thing is kind of confusing to me."

"Humans are generally confused with time travel. Your species is rather used to the idea of moving forwards, to go back is something else entirely." Kairos looked down at Hope's mark. "Raise your arm and point the eye towards me."

"Why?" Hope asked, not quite ready to trust a Fal'Cie.

Kairos picked up on this. It was a very odd trait, not trusting Fal'Cie. It was one shared by terrorists and fanatical cultists, and he seemed to be neither.

"Any mark I give a L'Cie who travels through time carries with it information." Kairos said matter of factily.

"Alright." Hope raised his arm up slowly. "But you may not like what you find…"

* * *

_That damnable bastard…_ Rain paced back and forth impatiently in front of the door. _When he gets out I'm going to kill him…_ Her right hand closed like it was holding a sword. _Cut him from groin to neck._

From the side Nadja was watching curiously. Rain was very rarely this frustrated, especially at someone who apparently held no importance to her.

"Why the hell is it taking so long!" Rain shouted, kicking the door for good measure.

Rain, how best to describe her? Temperamental, stubborn to a fault and both cold and distant. Of course to the majority of the bases male members when she was out of the baggy jacket and into something more form fitting she was very popular. Not that any of the males had the courage to say anything, after the last guy that hit on her she had not so nicely 'hit' back.

No, Nadja did not understand her. But then again Rain was, technically, a woman. And men never understand women…

"Hey sis." Frost put a hand on Rain's shoulder, earning her a glare from Rain.

"Let go of me you oath." Rain pushed Frost's hand off her shoulder and tilted her helmeted head up at her.

"Hey sis just chill out." Frost grinned goofily as she put her hands up in mock surrender. "Don't worry; the cute guy will be out safe and sound." Rain tilted her head to the side, either about to lunge at Frost or she was frowning under that helmet Nadja wasn't entirely sure which.

"And why would you think a bastard like Hope won't get killed by Kairos?" Rain sounded pissed, but also a tad curious.

"Because you remember his name." Frost said matter of factly. "And the people whose names you remember are like really important to you. I know, maybe you think he's cute to." A sly look crossed Frosts face. "Oh, you two would look so good together…"

Nadja smirked as he saw Rain twitch. It almost looked like she was having some kind of seizure as her shoulders tensed and untensed, fists clenching sporadically. Of course Nadja knew better. Rain's health was exceptional, and with a family history of nothing but strong able bodied individuals he knew this was not a seizure.

What it was however is the only warning Frost got before Rain drew her blade and started swinging at the giggling, though very fast, Frost. The few soldiers in the room gave Rain a wide berth as they glanced cautiously at the fuming soldier.

Nadja just shook his head. Honestly sometimes Rain was more trouble than she was worth… well just sometimes. The rest of the time Nadja found himself rather fond of the pinkette… though he would argue her hair was closer to red then pink. But if one were to follow that line wouldn't pink merely be a very light red?

The answer to that question lost importance as the door to Kairos's chamber slowly opened. Rain had stopped chasing Frost, even having the sense to sheath her sword, and turned to the opening door ready to slug Hope when he walked out. However her arm fell slowly to her side, her lips frowning under the helmet.

His silver hair was still dirty and unkempt. But his tattered clothes were all gone.

Now he wore heavy grey boots with black leather straps running across them. His pants were a dark green with metal rings sewn into them. One leg was tucked into a boot while the other fell down the boot and bunched up at its base.

Then you came up to a black shirt, the collar of which closed comfortably at the base of his neck. Over this he wore an open grey jacket. The jacket's long sleeves ended on his white gloved hands. Green, like his eyes, tribal designs ran up the sleeves and down his shoulders on both sides, lending a splash of color to an otherwise dull grey.

Of course perhaps most impressive was the now gleaming boomerang attached to his back. The device gleamed, its light yellow paint and black tribal design making themselves seen in the reflection of Rain's helmet.

"I take it you're not a traitor then." Nadja commented as the doors closed behind Hope.

"I guess not." Hope said with a shrug.

"Very well then." Nadja turned to Frost and Rain, an evil smile slowly crossing his features. "Then, Rain, Frost why don't you show our newest ally around?"

"Yes!" Frost grabbed Rain by the upper arm.

"What?" Rain stated dumbly as Frost started to drag her. "Hey, let me the hell go!" And she started struggling.

"Come on bro!" Frost called.

"Bro?" Hope shook his head and walked to catch up with Frost and the still struggling, and cussing, Rain. He was however stopped briefly when Nadja grabbed his shoulder.

"If Kairos trusts you then I'll let you in for now. But I'm warning you if you cross any of us I'll destroy you." And with that Nadja walked past him.

Hope turned his head to stare at Nadja back as the man patiently waited for the doors to open. He looked cold, heck he acted cold to, but it seems he cares for these people.

And as Hope jogged to catch up with Frost and the now fluently cursing Rain he decided that was a quality he could relate to…

* * *

The doors closed behind Nadja as he walked to stand before the great Fal'Cie. Kairos merely looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

Which in and of itself was nothing abnormal for Kairos. He was the only one to be able to access the entire history of the world so his pondering was something Nadja was used to. No, that wasn't what was abnormal. What was abnormal was the almost tired way he stared off at nothing.

_It must have something to do with getting old._ Nadja thought for a moment before bowing.

"Lord Kairos, am I to assume you approve of this Hope character?" Nadja asked as he stood upright.

"Yes, I do." Kairos looked down at Nadja with his grey eyes. "He is an interesting human. One who is sympathetic to our cause." Kairos spoke slowly, as tough weighing his words.

"Is that all?" _Because we both know you're hiding something._ Nadja looking into Kairos's eyes, waiting for an answer.

"He has his own goal as well. One I believe he will follow even if he turns C'ieth doing it." Kairos raised a hand and a holographic screen came up.

Nadja looked as a white human figure, spread eagle, and a DNA strand appeared on the screen. Nadja didn't need to look long to see it was a sample of the Plague. The only disease with a one hundred percent kill rate. The one that infected people without an obvious reason or cause.

"What is he concern with the Plague?" Nadja frowned, left hand clenching at his side.

"Suffice it to say this a man who wishes to protect someone." Kairos almost chuckled, but just almost. "And as long as we point him towards his goal he will help us."

"So you intend to lead him along for your own gain?" Nadja clarified.

"Do you have a problem with this, human?" The Fal'Cie asked.

"No, not at all. Using others for our own gain is part of being human." Nadja didn't really sound like he cared. "I merely need to know how you want him to be used." Nadja was not going to like his answer.

"I have assigned him to your unit." The Fal'Cie seemed to smirk as Nadja's already pale, deathly, complexion became a shade worse. "And I expect you to treat him well."

Nadja had a 'you're joking, right?' look on his face. It was only a shame for him that Fal'Cie didn't joke.

"If you're sure then I won't complain." Nadja said begrudgingly. "But why my unit?"

"I have my reasons." Kairos waved a hand another screen came up, this one showing schematics for a truly massive air ship. "And your next mission is chief amongst them…"

* * *

"…And this is the bedrooms." Frost grinned enthusiastically as she led a somber Hope and a fuming Rain around the base.

Rain just gave Frost a glare from under the helmet. Which caused Hope to wonder why she wanted to keep her face covered…

"Why are you staring, bastard?" Rain said, adding the bastard in as an afterthought.

Hope just looked ahead as Frost eagerly showed him the male's barracks; saying hi too few half dressed men she walked in on. Which needless to say was awkward for Hope, seeing anyone half dressed was just odd for the teenager, but provided an at distraction from Rain.

Who punched him hard in the arm, growling threateningly. Apparently Rain didn't like being ignored…

"No reason." Hope lied innocently enough.

"You've been staring at me since Kairos released you." Hope could practically feel her narrowed eyes on him.

Well she did have a point there. Hope already guessed what most of the rooms in the base were for. And he knew how velocycle's and crusaders functioned, well at least on a basic level anyways, not to mention the rather awkward tour Frost had in the men's restroom.

Actually he was very bored. Though Hope wouldn't say anything to Frost, who was enjoying showing Hope around, so that left him with little to do… except apparently wonder why Rain still had a helmet on.

"Maybe he thinks you're cute." Frost said, having moved to walk beside without either of us noticing. "It's about time sis. Honestly if I didn't know any better I'd think you were gay…" Frost had a 'hero' grin on her face…

_This is exactly what Snow would be like if he was a girl._ Hope swallowed hard. _I wonder if Rain will…_ Rain slugged Frost and walked on in a huff. _Yep, just like Lightning would have reacted… a teenage Lightning…_

Hope didn't know if he should be disturbed by that thought, or mildly happy. It was an odd thought to have, after all Hope almost couldn't imagine Lightning as anything but the head strong, stubborn, woman he knew and respected.

"She hit's hard." Frost groaned from where she was on the floor, clutching a broken nose.

"You like pissing her off, don't you?" Hope asked as he kneeled next to her.

A soft green light pulsed across his hand as he brought it above Frost's nose. With a loud snap, and a few odd fleshy sounds, her nose went from the crooked broken form of a few minutes to the straight, almost cute, look from before Rain had hit her.

"Kind of." Frost sat up, gingerly touching her nose. "Hey your pretty good at that." She rubbed along the length of her nose. "Seriously good, how do you do that?"

"Um, let's suffice it say I've had some practice." Hope offered, smirking sheepishly.

"Well whatever practice you've had is really good." Frost smiled at Hope.

From a distance Rain watched them. Or more specifically Hope.

_You act just like him._ Rain turned and walked on, shoulders tensing and her breathing catching. _Stupid bastard, I ought to kill you…_

Rain walked from the males barracks and skipped the female's quarters. She walked briskly to the officers rooms. There were three in total. Each room had two beds, a private bathroom and small kitchen. It was designed specifically to house L'Cie.

Even going to the extent of having a private training room. Made to withstand the abuse that strong magic's yielded. A room that, mostly because of Rain, had already been rebuilt. Twice.

Fortunately for the training room and Nadja who Kairos made fix it, her goal was for today was her room and the blissful rest it afforded.

Rain pushed the light wooden door open gently, breaking another door would not be good right now, and entered the barren room. Barren might be putting it nice. The only signs that someone lived in the room at all was the fact that the covers on one bed was slightly ruffled, the large plastic fan sitting between the beds and a plastic container tucked almost out of sight under it.

Rain cast the edge of the plastic box a look as she pulled the helmet off. Her hair, damp from sweat, fell in her eye and over her eye patch. A hand absently went up to it, touching the soft fabric gingerly.

A shiver ran up her spine and her gloved hand shot away like it was poison. She looked down at the hand, frowning, for a moment before moving to her blade. At the touch of her right hand the blade disengaged from the magnetic plate sewn in the back of her jacket.

She effortlessly held the sword up and inspected it for damage. There were a few nicks and scratches along the side, probably form Hope's ice attack, and some blood had caked on the tip. Fortunately the design on the weapon was so simple she didn't need to break it down for cleaning.

_I guess that's something else I owe him._ Rain's lips almost curled into a smile, but didn't quite make the trip. _Making my weapon so simple…_

There was an air of melancholy as she set the blade gently against the wall be her headboard. If the weapon were ever to fall in the middle of the night the handle would either crush her head or give Rain a welt that grow to ridiculous proportions.

But she wasn't worried.

Next came the jacket. She unzipped a hidden zipper and it came open revealing a simple grey shirt underneath. As she pulled the jacket off her right arm was left wrapped in bandages. Of course she was more worried about the now missing hood of her jacket then her arm.

Hope had torn it clean off, leaving nothing but frayed fabric in his wake. Rain muttered about how long it would take her to make a new hood. But she forgot about the grumbling as set it carefully down on a mahogany dresser.

Instead she took her boots off and pants off, leaving her in boxers and a loose T-shirt plus socks. Rain wouldn't undress beyond this. She hated being naked, and if she could have slept in all her clothes she would have. But she just couldn't manage that feet, ever since she was little Rain had to feel something under her to sleep. And the cool air of her big, white, stand fan blowing across her body helped Rain drift into dreamless sleep.

Rain turned the fan on before curling up in her bed. The cool air sent goosebump's along her exposed skin. Yes, Rain liked this feeling. Feeling cold was so natural that her eyes couldn't help but droop shut in dreamless, blissful, sleep.

* * *

"…And here's where you will be sleeping Hope." Frost remarked as they stood in front of wooden door.

"Um, thank you?" There was something to the way Frost was grinning. Something sinister and conniving, and definitely plotting, it was like that time Snow managed to get Lightning in a dress for the wedding and how I wound up standing next to her the whole time, snow snapping pictures left and right.

"No problem." There was a sly wink, oh maker what's going to happen? "You should probably go get some rest; it's been a long day for you."

Okay, Hope had to admit it. He was tired after, dodging booby traps, being sent back in time. Then fighting one of Lightning's pissed of ancestors, seeing Kairos wipe out a unit of airships and now this lengthy tour across the base, which was filled with death threats from Rain.

Hope figured he deserved a little bit of rest. He could figure out a more solid plan on how to find a cure for Lightning in a couple hours when he woke up…

_No, I can't do that._ Hope glared at the door and its tempting offer of rest. _I have to find a cure. I can wait to rest…_

"Go on!" Frost happily shoved him into the door, which was not closed for some reason, and he fell into the room.

Hope slid across the floor, Frost's shove was very strong, and hit a white fan. The fan almost toppled on him, but Hope was fast. He grabbed its base and stabilized it so it wouldn't fall on and consequentially hurt him.

Satisfied that the fan was not going to fall over Hope stood up and looked around the room, eyes freezing on the sight of Rain.

Rain was curled up into a ball on her bed. Her head was tucked as far into her knees as her arched back would allow. Hope was about to leave her alone and shout at Frost for setting him up, but as he approached the door he was cut off by a short, sharp, sob.

Hope looked at her closely now. He could see where she had rolled over because the sheet was wet from tears. And her upper body quaked every now in then in an almost silent sob or cry.

Hope slowly approached Rain's bed. It was against his better judgment, after all that huge sword was within reach and she could start swinging wildly at any second, but his heart won out. Hope Estheim could not, and would not; leave someone if there was the remotest chance he could help.

Sometimes he was to dang nice for his own good.

Hope stood over her now. His green eyes looking down into the side of her face. One pale cheek was visible from between both hair and knees. And running down that face was glistening moisture of some kind.

_Some kind?_ Hope sat down next to her. _No, those are tears. Not 'some kind' of moisture, but a very painful kind._

She whispered something. Hope couldn't quite catch it but the words please and don't were audible enough. But those two words could mean anything. So Hope did the one thing any curious, concerned, human would do. He leaned in a little close, one arm going across the bed to support his weight.

"…Die…" It was a little bit muffled, and a whole lot strangled, but he definitely heard that word.

Unfortunately as his hand slipped on the sheet and he fell on top of her that word might as well have been a reading of his future.

Rain's eye shot open and she looked at hope who was no on top of her. For a moment no recognition came to her sleep filled mind. But those silver locks, and that green eye color…

"Hope…" There was the surreal moment she realized she was crying, and that he was lying on top of her. Followed quickly by insurmountable rage. "I'm going to kill you!"

And you know what? Hope believed her…

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Don't worry, Hope isn't dead yet. He may be wounded but honestly if a girl wakes up and you're lying on top of her then unless you're like her husband you will get hurt. **

**Wow, I'm surprised. I guess I'm the only one that the thought of a female Snow is a tad odd, cool that means no one's pissed, which means I'm happy. See, a smily face :)**

**Now personally I don't particularly like this chapter. I know, if I don't like it why am I posting it? Well because I've thrown five drafts out already, five fully written drafts, and to do that a sixth time would just kill me… not to mention screw over my dead line (Which I'm missing by two hours anyways) so here it is.**

**Oh and thank you Muddledthoughts, GeneralSeig and Coca-cola1 for reviewing. You guys have no idea how much it means so thank you all very much.**

**You can also thank my two newest musical obsessions for this being worked on so much. Voltaire and Warren Zevon. Man, I don't know what it is about these two artists but they really got me inspired last week. 'Course this week I'm plugged into Becoming the Archetype and Blood Stain Child… 'sigh' I listen to way to much music…**

**Disclaimer:**

**Um… I don't really own FFXIII or any of the musical artists that were on here tonight. But if you'd like to pay me I can't say I'd be opposed…**

**Lightning: You wish, you'd probably just blow it on red Swedish goldfish…**

**Hope: What! Those things are gross, how could you waste money like that!**

**Chazz: What could be better then red Swedish goldfish? They're awesome!**

**Lightning: Oh are they now? This coming from the guy who woke up and thought he saw a cheeseburger walking down the street…**

**Hope: And then ran to put his shoes on to give chase.**

**Chazz:… In my defense I was still dreaming!... but man that cheese burger was at least the size of a truck… so hungry…**

**Lightning/Hope: Weirdo…**


	7. Man Hope runs fast! A secret Heart

"I'm going to kill you!" Frost turned around as she heard Rain scream.

Hope burst out of the room, moving faster than a speeding car, and ran down the hall. Frost wasn't surprised; she thought Rain would run Hope off in a few minutes. No what surprised her was the half dressed Rain giving hot pursuit with sword in hand; she hadn't even put a helmet on.

"I didn't mean to!" Hope shouted over his shoulder.

"You pervert, I'm going to slice your balls off." Rain was undeterred by his pleading. As a matter of fact she seemed to be running ever faster after Hope.

"Wow." Frost grinned. "I never thought I'd see Rain take such an interest in someone." A sly smile worked its way across Frost's lips.

With Hope here it was going to be interesting…

* * *

A sleek black Velocycle made a fast decent towards the island base. It's occupant a tall man covered in black. From his knee high heavy combat boots and trousers to the pair of large, heavy, black pistols holstered on either hip.

The flowing trench coat billowed out behind him like a cape, clinging snuggly to his muscled shoulders. Black cloth was wrapped around his head and tucked into a heavy looking gas mask. A black cowboy hat, with a silver bullet design, rested atop his head.

As he approached the ground a small dust cloud was kicked up around his velocycle. This gave the male, who was a black silhouette amongst the dust, a rather flashy entrance.

"Rajh move!" Unfortunately the same could not be said of his companion.

A silver streak shot through the air and crashed in a fiery explosion right behind Rajh, creating a cliché action movie moment with the hero's back lit up by an expanding blast cloud, sending a human shape flying through the air. An oomph and an explicit cuss word were uttered as Rajh walked up on the figure, chuckling lightly as he went.

"Merry, you need to work on your landing." Rajh's voice was deep, gruff and had an air of wisdom about it.

Merry was a five five girl. Her hair was a natural red, tied in a pony tail behind her head. Eyes a sparkling blue and face like a child. A black cloak was tied around her neck and billowed out behind her, waving in the wind. A long black shirt, tucked into red gloves, adorned her upper body. A white skirt covered her lower body.

Merry's shins had a white checkered piece of cloth tied below the knee and around her ankle, just above white tennis shoes.

"Hmph." Merry crossed her arms and pouted angrily. "Maybe you need to work on you leading. After all I never would have went so fast if you hadn't been in the lead!" She was pouting.

"Your right." Rajh walked past a visibly surprised Merry. "You would have flown faster and crashing into the water a few clicks from the main land." Merry blinked once as Rajh started to descend the stairs, saluting a soldier as he went.

"Hey…" And then her teeth ground together and fists clenched. "Rajh get back here! That wasn't nice!"

Rajh laughed as he descended the stairs. Merry was berating him about being so mean and insensitive the whole way, and loving every second of it. Though Rajh reasoned he enjoyed it more because of just how normal it was.

Making someone mad and getting them to shout at you was so average, so expected, that it made the entire war, with its magic and pointless deaths, almost seem like a distant memory. However even this sense of normal is easily replaced with what Rajh came upon…

"I'm sorry!" A silver haired man shouted as he jumped from Crusader to Crusader to get away from… a half dressed Rain?

"Sick pervert! I'm going to kill you; I'll hit you so hard your frigin kids will feel it!" Rain was absolutely livid as her blue eye practically shot flaming death at this man.

But it was still odd. Rain hated it when she wasn't clothed, especially her head, so why was she chasing this male around in nothing but her socks, boxers and night shirt?

"You go girl!" A soldier shouted, making some kind of lewd gesture.

"She's so cute…" Another said like a pop stars hyper active fan girl.

"Oi your right! We don't get to see her looking so fine very ofte…"

Rajh brought his fist down hard on one of the gossiper's heads. With a loud cry the man fell over with a thud.

"If you have time to gawk at Rain then you have time to get to work." Rajh commanded as he walked past the men, who didn't seem too worried.

"And if you don't want to do that then you can always play with me!" Merry added excitedly.

Merry blinked a few times as the men all but disappeared, practically leaving dust clouds where they once stood.

"Ah, my games aren't that bad…"

Rajh ignored Merry as he approached Rain and the male, who were now making a big circle around the velocycles with Rain catching up.

"Hope, if you stop running your death will be quick!" Rain shouted at Hope.

"I don't want to die period." Hope shouted back, really not wanting to get the massive sword shoved somewhere unpleasant.

"Hold on there." Rajh grabbed Hope's shirt collar and Rains wrist as she tried to swing at him. "What's got you so worked up that you run out here half naked?"

Rain looks down at her boxers and night shirt before a hand shoots up to her face. Hope notes a brief note of panic in her eye before she darts from the hangar, heading back to her room.

"Thank you." Hope sighed as he sat on the ground. "I thought she was going to kill me…"

Rajh looked down at Hope. He didn't look overtly impressive. His build was definitely muscular, but not overtly so, he was lithe and probably agile, but his body mass was too large to twist like Merry. But he was dressed like one of Kairos soldiers… and his presence was…

"You're a L'Cie?" Rajh stated more then asked.

"Yeah." Hope stood up, brushed his pants off, and offered a hand to Rajh.

"The names Rajh, Rajh Katzroy." Rajh shook Hope's hand.

"Hey what about me!" A whine came from behind Rajh.

"And this is my partner, Merry." Rajh sighed and stepped aside so Merry could enthusiastically shake Hope's hand.

"It's good to meet you." Merry smirked, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. Aside from the teeth, and the pony tail, she looked almost scarily like Vanille, if Hope didn't know any better he'd say they were twins.

"Yeah, good to meet you to." Hope said slowly.

"See, even people I've never met before think it's a good thing when I'm around." Merry declared happily.

"But that's not what I said." Hope muttered.

"Hey Rajh I'm going to go find Rain, see what she's so grumpy about today." And with that the peppy girl skipped off, leaving Hope and Rajh alone.

"So." Rajh was going to take this time to confront this Hope character about whatever happened with Rain. "Why was Rain so upset?"

Hope sighed and grinned sheepishly. He had no idea what to tell Rajh, because none of it sounded good. And the more ways he thought of to explain it the worse and worse it began to sound. But he couldn't just not say anything either…

"It's a misunderstanding." Hope finally said. "Frost led to my room… and it happened to be Rains room..." Rajh laughed cutting Hope off.

"Well that explains it." Rajh shook his head. "I guess you got lucky though, the last person to walk in on Rain while she was sleeping had to be revived, twice. He was just fortunate that we had a fresh shipment of phoenix downs."

Phoenix downs. Medical sciences most potent creation. They first repair skin and damaged organs like a cure spell, and then started the heart and brain with a jolt of energy.

Honestly Hope knew there was more to it than that, but he couldn't recall the finer details.

"But that's Rain for you." Rajh shrugged and started walking away, motioning Hope to follow.

"Yeah." Hope got up and walked beside Rajh, a question plaguing his mind. "Why is she like that anyways?"

Rajh turned his head slightly so he could look at Hope. And then sighed.

"It's not my place to tell you. But she's been like that for almost as long as I've known her." Rajh said.

Hope nodded. He didn't doubt she'd been like this for a long time. But he still didn't know why she was like this.

"If I asked her she'd probably kill me." Hope muttered, Rajh laughed.

"Yeah, she probably would." Rajh agreed. "If you're going to be here awhile just give her time, if you survive long enough she might open up."

"Sounds just like someone else I know." Hope couldn't but smile faintly.

A smile that was replaced with a grimace as he saw a now dressed Rain charging down the hall at him. Hope shielded his face, expecting her to stab him or something similar, and was surprised when Rain grabbed his arm and pulled.

"Come on bastard! Merry's playing again!" And with that hope was being dragged faster than he could walk away from the rooms.

"Wait what? I thought you were going to kill me." Hope sputtered, very confused by this.

"Just shut up." Rain ordered as she pushed him against the wall. "And duck you head…"

Rain was cut off as a loud explosion rang out through base. Followed by a very evil, very happy, giggle.

"What was that?" Hope asked as the hallway was filled with smoke.

"Merry you idiot, I told you explosives go outside!" Rain yelled down the hall, shaking a fist threateningly into the smoke.

"But it was so much fun!" A whiny giggle responded. "And now you're not mad about the pervert…" Merry skipped into view, and stopped when she saw Hope. "Hi mister pervert." She waved, smiling innocently.

_It's an evil Vanille._ Hope shuddered, and then stopped to think about it. _Well Vanille's ability was death... maybe evil is a relative term here._

"Idiot, I don't care how much fun it was you can't blow shit up in my room." Rain grabbed Merry by the shirt collar and raised her up threateningly towards her helmeted head. "You don't do it. Not if you want to live."

"Geez Rain lighten up." Merry just smirked, rather darkly, up at Rain. "It wasn't even in your room. Technically it was just outside your room."

"You little shit!" Rain threw Merry against the far wall. A crack and a scream followed as Merry bounced off the stone wall and hit the ground, hard.

"Rain!" Hope kneeled next to the girl and glared up at Rain. "How could you do that, isn't she your ally." Rain shrugged and started to walk away.

"She was being annoying." Rain said simply. "So I shut her up."

"You can't just go around punching people." Hope argued, which was when a lithe hand grabbed his hair and pulled him down.

Rain froze as she watched Merry pull Hope down and kiss him. If Rain had paid attention she'd have seen it was on the forehead, and that Hope looked shocked. But Rain was never someone who waited to observe detail. Instead she turned and walked away, deciding to punch the first person she came in contact with.

"What are you doing?" Hope pushed her away and fell hard on his rear, looking at the apparently uninjured girl in shock.

"Man your face was so priceless." Merry giggled, holding her stomach and rolling on the ground in delight.

"How… why…" Hope put a hand on his forehead and stuttered.

"Don't worry; I don't have feelings for you, yet." Merry winked. "I just wanted to see if I could piss Rain off."

"But I thought you were injured!" Hope was shouting.

"I'm a Fumetsu possessor." Merry smirked and pulled her skirt up slightly to reveal the edge of her mark. "It takes a lot more than that to hurt me." Merry rubbed her lower back. "Well maybe I should say injure, that really hurt a lot…"

Hope opened and closed his mouth dumbly a few times, not sure exactly what to say as Merry skipped off down the hall.

"I see…" Hope glanced over his shoulder to see Rajh strolling leisurely towards him. "Merry's been playing again."

"Th-this is playing?" Hope looked at Rajh indignantly.

"Not really." Hope sighed in relief, until Rajh added. "If this were playing there would be bigger explosions."

Hope looked at Rajh, mouth slightly ajar. He was beginning to suspect that everyone here was crazy.

_Light, when I get back you better really appreciate this…_ Hope swallowed as he followed Rajh into the now dissipating smoke, back towards the dorms. _Because I'm not sure I'll survive…_

* * *

"That idiot." Rain grumbled as she slammed her fist into the wall. "Why does he have to be so much like him?" Rain asked no one in particular.

"Like who?" Nadja said as he approached her.

Rain glared up at him with her helmeted head. If Nadja could see the pure threat and malice in those eyes he would run, and fast.

"Fine, don't tell me." Nadja shrugged uncaringly. "I just came by to inform you that Hope will be bunking with you, though judging by the mess Merry made I assume you know already?"

Merry always did something stupid when Rain was very angry, or upset. Apparently Merry thought of Rain as her older sister, something Rain had never figured out why but accepted nonetheless.

"No duh." Rain replied tartly, turning her head to look away from Nadja. "Why can't he sleep with the guys?"

"I bunk with Rajh so the rooms full." Nadja emotionlessly informed, not affected in the least by Rain's dilemma. "And Frost and Merry have a room. That leaves the only open room yours. And I predict it will be very safe." Nadja smirked evilly. "After all if Hope crosses any boundary's you'll kill him on the spot." There was a hint of malice to his words.

"Why would I do that?" Rain asked suspiciously.

There were several things Rain had quickly learned about Nadja... One was he had some kind personal vendetta against the Estheim line, calling them the Auran's sworn enemy. Two he hated coffee with any additives. And lastly, and most importantly, he was a man that always had something planned. A secret trump card was always up his sleeve and if you couldn't figure out what it was then you best stand clear.

That was one a lot of their ally's learned the hard way.

"Oh, are you saying you wouldn't?" It was a fair question, one they both knew the answer to.

"I know why I would kill him." Rain responded evenly, though the impatience showed as she started to tap her foot. "But would you want me to?"

Nadja smirked. Stubborn and smart. The absolute worst combination in Nadja's experience.

"He's an unforeseen variable." Nadja shrugged. "We honestly don't need him to win. And having another member is someone else I have to rely on." Nadja gave Rain a knowing look. "And we both know someone else to rely on is someone else who will screw up and die."

Rain flinched slightly at that, as though she had been hit. But then her fists clenched and she turned away from Nadja. With an angry stride she set off for her room.

She didn't see Nadja slow smirk. There was now no way Hope was going to be seriously injured, unless he did something really perverted. No, not a chance as long as Rain thinks he wants him to be.

_People are too easy to manipulate._ Nadja smirked as he turned his back to Rain and walked in the opposite direction.

"Oh and Rain." Rain stopped and glanced over her shoulder at Nadja. "We have a mission tomorrow. Make sure you and Hope are ready. We can't afford any miss steps this time."

"You think I'll screw up?" Rain scoffed and walked on. "Trust me Hope doesn't need any help, he's strong enough…"

"He must be." Nadja smirked, this was getting very interesting. "You remember his name."

Rain stiffened a moment. Her body was telling her to fight, every blood lusting instinct in her said to strike Nadja down for that. But in the end she let out a dry snort before walking away.

_So what? I say his name on accident what? Once? Doesn't mean I remember his stupid name._ Rain was walking back towards her room, she was done being around people for the day. _And even if I did what does it matter? It's just a name, nothing special._

She reached her room, and frowned at Frost who was leaning next to the door. A big smirk was on the blond's face, one that Rain wanted to wipe away with a vicious punch.

"Hey sis…" Frost started as Rain approached.

"I'm not your damn sister." Rain shoved Frost away. "If you were something like my brother girlfriend I'd understand, but calling me sis for no reason is stupid." Rain crossed her arms and was about to Glare at Frost, but Frost was wearing her signature grin so glaring wouldn't do any good.

"So how'd it go?"Frost had a gleam to her eyes that Rain could live without.

"How'd what go?" Rain titled her helmet to the side quizzically.

"Did you catch Hope and declare your undying love to him yet?" Frost had a really perverted look on her face.

"The hell?" Rain reached up a gloved hand and scratched the back of her neck; sometimes Frost was just too unique for her own good. "Nothing's undying." An image of Hope kissing Merry came back to her mind. "Besides I don't have any attachment to him. He can die for all I care." Dang, there was that gleam again.

"So I can go after him then?" Gleam and smirk, this was starting to piss Rain off.

"Do whatever the hell you want." Rain growled as she threw her door open. "If you want to waste your time on that bastard then go ahead. Because I'm not."

And with that Rain slammed the door hard. Leaving Frost to frown at where she had been.

"He's just like him, isn't he?" Frost sighed and looked up, smirking when she saw Hope and Rajh walk her way. "Hope!" Frost shouted, but not loud enough for Rain to hear, and ran at Hope wrapping him up in a crushing hug. "I thought that Rain was going to kill you! You have no idea how worried I was and…"

"Alright, you can set him down now." Rajh laughed. "He's been through enough today." Frost pouted at Rajh.

"But he's so cute and huggable." Hope was now turning red.

"W-what?" As Hope looked at Frost he couldn't help but picture Snow's face and the big blond saying this. "Get off me!" And with that he was struggling to break what he saw as Snow's embrace.

"You creeped him out already?" Rajh said, trying not to laugh. "That's a new record Frost, what has it been five hours?"

"Hey." Frost pouted and released Hope. "That's not nice; he clearly just wants to keep our relationship pure that's all." Hope shivered in a bad way.

"I'm sure." Rajh shook his head as he reached behind his neck. "That's the reason."

There a few clicking sounds and Rajh's gas mask loosened. He reached his right hand out in front of his face and removed the mask. Hope nearly choked as he saw what he could only describe as a younger Sazh's face.

Just like the old man it was kind, fatherly even, and his lips curled up easily into a smile. Unlike Sazh's however there were no wrinkles. Just smooth black skin.

"Of course it is." Frost said confidently. "I mean we both know the hero always gets the man…"

"Doesn't the hero always get the girl?" Rajh countered.

Frost put her chin between thumb and point finger as she thought about it. And then, with a shrug, she said.

"Hope kind of looks like a girl…"

"That's it I'm gone." Hope pushed the door open and entered his room.

Rajh and Frost watched. They were expecting a scream and the sound of someone getting cut up by a blade. But after a few moments of silence Rajh chuckled and Frost smirked.

"I guess Hope is fortunate." Rajh commented as he walked towards his room.

"How's that?" Frost asked curiously.

Rajh stopped for a second, hand clutching his door frame and eyes cast forwards. Silence engulfed the room for the span of a heartbeat before a dry, mirthless chuckle came from his throat.

"Because he's so much like him. There's no way Rain could kill Hope, not now at least." Rajh walked through the door and closed it. Frost watched after him a moment before sighing.

"Maybe he can help her move on?" And with that she went to her own room, hoping that Hope could help Rain. And doubting it the whole time.

* * *

Rain's head jerked up as she heard the door open. She had just sat down with her jacket and sewing needle in hand, about to start repairing the hood, when Hope walked in. his face was flushed and he closed the door rather quickly.

_Frost must have made a move._ Rain's fist unconsciously clenched around her jacket. _And I guess he didn't respond then?_

"Sorry." Hope said as he caught Rain's eye. "I'll leave if you…"

"It's fine." Rain said emotionlessly. "Stay if you want. It's going to be your room now to."

_Why did I just say that?_ Rain thought as a silence settled between them._ I really don't want him here; I should just kick his ass out…_

"Thanks." Hope smiled softly. "I hope we can get along." Rain almost laughed; did he not just realize what he did with his own name?

"Hey I got a half smile out of you." Hope smiled innocently. Rain looked away immediately.

"Shut up and go to bed." Rain instructed. "I'm busy right now."

Rain could hear the soft step of Hope's boots as he approached her from behind. Rain didn't turn from her desk; she wanted to have nothing to do with Hope. And if he got to close, or maker forbid touch her, then Rain would punch him hard with your bandaged arm. He'd never make the same mistake again.

However she had not expected Hope to pull her jacket from her hands and sit down on the bed beside her. Rain blinked once, twice, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things. And then with a growl she glared at Hope.

However her one eyed glare faltered when she saw Hope holding up her torn hood, the one he pulled from her jacket, and trying to match it with a thread.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rain asked way less harshly then she meant to. It came out a soft, though strong, sentence.

"I tore your hood off right?" Hope said as he found a matching thread. "So it's only right I fix it." Rain's eye involuntarily widened.

"Why would you do that?" Rain asked curiously.

"Why not?" Hope countered, carefully running the needle and thread through the fabric of her jacket. "I've had plenty of practice. There wasn't a whole lot of chances to get new clothes on my journey. And this is clearly very important to you." He looked up at her, so honestly and innocently.

"You're nothing like him after all." Rain looked away, Hope frowned.

"Like who?" Hope asked curiously.

"Nothing." Rain picked up her own needle and fixed hope with a stubborn look. "I don't care if you did ruin it bastard; I am not owing you a favor."

Hope just smiled at her. Rain wanted to smile back, but didn't. He hasn't earned her smile yet.

"Well I don't want to owe you a favor either." Hope held his needle up, the thin metal gleaming under the light.

"Hmph." Rain's eyes had a note of challenge. "You'd be doing me a bigger favor by not, your sewing's probably shit anyways..."

It could be noted that no two people have ever had quite that intensity. And it could perhaps be said that Rain's jacket had never been sewn back together quite so well.

And how exactly Hope managed to sew a small silver heart on the back, at the base of the neck, of Rain's jacket without getting brutally is a mystery.

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Thank you: GeneralSeig, Tear of Light, Johan07 and KHVenom2990: For reviewing.**

**Sorry for the late update. My writing is being limited, mostly because I've started to develop problems with my hands. It's something that runs strongly in my family, and typing away at a key board as much as I do doesn't help. So I'm really sorry if updates are late for awhile, I'll try my best so don't worry.**

**Now with the addition of Rajh and Merry we have the typical final fantasy party, six characters half boy half girl. **

**And it's kind of odd but I had a couple people surprised that Rain had another side to her… though generally they all agree. The only way they would give her a comforting hug is if something akin to steel armor was protecting their body. I'm sorry to inform you but I have no spare steel armor.**

**And the Snow like character went over rather well. You will all have to forgive me but it still strikes me as a tad odd. But on the bright side I find myself fond of this character so 'thumbs up'**

**And a quick note because I don't know if it will wind up covered or not. Nora, Hope's mother, was the one with silver hair not Bartholomew. So it's reasonable to presume that silver hair is a trait on his mothers side. Now since we never found out her maiden name I'm making it Auran for the purpose of this fic because I think it has a nice ring to it.**

**And this mysterious 'him' character will be revealed as the story progress's so I'm not beign evasive for no reason, just wait for it. It'll be worth it.**

**And you can thank Black Lab for this chapter getting out on time. I don't normally listen to this kind of music but it's been oddly calming this week.**

**Disclaimer:**

**I asked Square Enix if I could have the wrights for a day, they said no. So I don't anything mentioned in this chapter… 'sigh'**

**Chazz:' Whistling in the bathroom'**

**Lightning: 'whispers' what is he doing?**

**Hope: 'Whisperes' I don't know.**

**Rain: Move aside bastard, I'll figure it out.**

**Lightning: 'looks shocked at Rain'**

**Rain: 'bursts through door' The hell are you doing!... Oh. Carry on. 'walks out smirking under helmet'**

**Hope: What was he doing?**

**Rain: Go see for yourself bastard.**

**Lightning: Why are you calling Hope a bastard! 'waves gunblade around threateningly.**

**Rain: Because he is one.**

**Lightning/Rain: 'Arguing in the background'**

**Chazz: I'm here! 'flamboyant declaration as bathroom door burst open'**

**Hope: They arent watching. 'shocked face'**

**Chazz: And I spent all that time dying my hair red and they don't even notice?**

**Lightning: Huh? What did you do to your brown hair! It's red!**

**Chazz: I asked dad if I could dye it and he said go ahead, why is it too much for you to handle?**

**Lightning: Change it back!**

**Rain: Hell no, I think it's frigin cool!**

**Arguing is back.**

**Hope: Um… tune in next time. I'll get his hair back to normal... somehow…**

**Chazz: Wait don't I get a say?**

**Everyone else: No!**

**Chazz: So mean to me… :'(**


	8. Is the ocean falling on me? Run Raines!

"Bastard! You better wake up right now!" Rain was standing over Hope, holding her jacket angrily.

Hope opened a sleepy eye. He briefly wondered when Lightning's hair got so short… and when she became so flat. Until he remembered where he was and that the girl shouting at him was not a shorter, flatter, Lightning but a very angry Rain.

"What?" Hope asked as he looked into her blue eye.

"You sewed a heart into my frigin jacket you pervert!" Rain showed him the silver heart for emphasis.

_Huh, why did I do that?_ Hope wondered as he looked at the rather intricate design… then it hit him.

"That's why." Hope reached forward and tugged at the neckline of her shirt.

"The hell!" Rain brought her fist back, about to turn Hope's head into a bloody splatter on the wall, when a silver heart locket was pulled out of her shirt.

It gleamed under the light, with a vine like silver inlay surrounding a blue gemstone. It was small, easily fitting in Hope's palm, but magnificent in its simplicity and beauty.

Rain looked at it, her eyes wide. There was a tremor in her shoulder before she slugged Hope and jerked away from him.

Hope took the punch square in the forehead. There was a definitive crunch as her bandaged arm impacted his face. Hope flipped over backwards and hit the wall, hard.

"Why'd you do that!" Hope shouted as he pushed himself up, and blinked in surprise.

In the few seconds Hope had been knocked down Rain had donned her white jacket. She was latching the last lock on her hood now.

"What'd I do bastard?" Rain sounded disinterested, like nothing had happened.

Hope would have been prone to believe that. However her left hand shook slightly as she grabbed the door knob.

"You must have loved whoever gave that to you." Rain froze like a block of ice.

"What do you know bastard?" She turned her hooded head; Hope could see her blue eye glaring at him.

"That's why I'm here." Hope said. "I want to protect someone I love."

"… Just leave me alone you damned bastard!" Rain's teeth sounded like they were grinding together as she slammed the door behind her.

Hope sighed and flopped back down on the bed. His eye's travelled to the ceiling and he briefly wondered why exactly he had sewn the heart on her hoodie. Was it impulse? Oh yes, but is that the only reason…

"Light." Hope closed his eyes and readied himself to drift back into dream land. "Is there where you get your temper from…?"

* * *

"Stupid, shit faced bastard!" Rain growled as she walked briskly across the base.

Everyone, even the body builder like soldiers, stayed as far away from Rain as possible. A few even going to such length as flee from the base, usually screaming like girls and proclaiming the end of life, period.

"I'm going to hang him by his frigin intestines!" This elicited a cold shiver everyone that heard, even Rajh who had been eating breakfast and heading towards his room couldn't help the cold feeling that crawled up his back.

"Hey soldier girl." Rajh called as he jogged up next to the fuming Rain. "What's got you so pissed?" Rajh was honestly half afraid of the answer. With Rain there was no telling exactly why she was mad this time, but to make Rain this angry it had to be something major, right?

"That stupid dickless bastard!" Rain's right fist slammed into the wall, breaking concrete and sending a spider's web of cracks all along the wall. "Look at what he did to my jacket!"

Rajh sighed inwardly. What was it about Hope that elicited such extreme anger in Rain? No one, not a single person, had ever made her this mad… oh. Then again no one besides Hope had sewn a silver heart into the neck of Rain's jacket either.

Rajh was pretty sure no one here had the guts to do something like that, especially if they knew what the necklace it was clearly modeled after meant to Rain. Of course that still doesn't explain everything…

"How did he do this?" Rajh tilted his head to the side, taking a big bite of his cheese and garlic toast. "I mean you barely take it off, even when you sleep it's normally protectively wrapped in your arms."

Rain froze. Then her shoulder's quivered and head bowed slightly. For most people this may have been a sign of a sob, but for Rain it was…

"That stupid bastard! I'm going to hang him by his frigin guts! Wrap his worthless spine around his shit filled neck and rip his bastard head off!" Rain had drawn her sword and swung in a chaotic, angry, arc.

Rajh side stepped the blade and let Rain gouge deep gashes in the ground, walls and ceiling as she started screaming incoherent threats. This stopped when Rajh laughed and pointed behind her.

"What's so funny?" The deadly gleam of her blue eye made Rajh shiver.

"Sorry." He grinned. "But you made the new recruits pee themselves." Rain looked over her shoulder and sure enough about three men had wet they're clearly new grey uniforms. "Nadja had some new recruits ordered, and they got here just in time to see you in a good mood…"

"What're you staring at bastards!" Rain's gunblade folded into gun mode as she pointed it at the new recruits. "Let's see you stare without your frigin heads!"

Rajh sighed as Rain opened fire. Of course Rain, even this enraged, was smart enough to shoot to high over their heads to hit them. But still, scaring new people like that? It was just wrong…

"Alright." Rajh grabbed Rain's arm, the right which was holding the blade, and yanked back so she shot a hole in the ceiling. "That's quite enough of that."

"The hell Rajh?" Rain was about to say more when water poured out over her head.

Rain's gunblade had shot through eight feet of steel and numerous more of stone and out into the ocean, which was now pouring on her head. Rain blinked once, arm still held in the air with the gunblade, and then gave Rajh a dirty look as he giggled.

"Just seal the damn hole before I shoot you." Rain muttered, arm falling to her side and blade making a loud crashing noise as it dug into the ground.

"That's better." Rajh took a knife out of a sheath on his boot and melted the metal to cover the hole, Rain dully watched him do this, letting more of the ocean fall on her. "You okay soldier?"

"Fine." Rain sheathed her blade and walked away. "I'll be ready for the mission whenever Nadja is."

Rajh watched Rain walk away. The anger and general pissed off atmosphere that followed Rain was gone. It was replaced with a tiredness and weariness that wasn't typical of a normal person her age.

"Wow!" Rajh looked down and to his left to see a giggling Merry. "I've never seen her get this upset before, it's awesome!" She was bursting with energy. "If this Hope guy did this I think I'm falling in love." And she said it in such a dreamy hopeful way to…

"Merry you stay away from Hope." Rajh instructed, Merry grinned wickedly.

"Oh." She slid closer to Rajh and looked up into his face. "Are you suddenly jealous?"

"No." Rajh put hands on Merry's shoulders and gently moved her out of his way. "But if this Hope has this much power over Rain messing with him is not a good idea." Rajh cast a stern look at a pouting Merry. "I for one never want to know what she'd do if someone made her that mad, and quite frankly something tells me not even Barthandelous would want to see that…"

* * *

The sound of a blade slowly being sheathed filled the darkened room. The only light was a single candle. Its iridescent glow covered a deathly pale body in a soft light.

His upper body was bare. Letting tightly muscled abs glow along with the crisscrossing scars that covered them.

Silver lines ran across his back and down his right arm, each point ending a in a black sigil, each sigil designed differently.

"To cut down my foes." Nadja's voice said.

A silver katana was being set gently down in front of the candle.

"To see they're death throes."

Nadja raised a dagger in front of the flame. Then in a slow motion he sheathed it is well.

"To protect my allies'."

And put it down with the other weapon. A massive shuriken, measuring four feet across, was carefully picked up and set around the candle.

"To see through their lies."

Nadja folded his hands as if in prayer and gave the candle a quick bow. A ball of fire briefly from the candle as thousands of pin points marks of light illuminated inside deathly pale skin.

"The strength to kill, the heart to murder. The power to save, the mind to spare." The flame died plunging the room into near darkness.

"Nadja." Rajh threw the door open a few minutes later. "Rain's pissed."

"So?" Nadja had dressed in those few minutes. Two katana's were sheathed in an X pattern on his back while the massive ninja star was tied above them. Knife holsters were on either thigh and a hand gun was being strapped to his side as well.

"There is nothing new about that." Nadja cocked the slide on the Beretta and loaded a clip before facing Rajh.

"Normally I'd agree." Rajh sighed and moved a hand through his long, curly, black hair. "But this was worse than normal. And guess who caused it?" Nadja's eyes narrowed, he looked so much like a vampire right then.

"Hope if I'm not mistaken." Nadja holstered the gun. "I suppose it would be prudent to go talk to him."

"Uh… I think I should go with you." Rajh was giving Nadja's blades a weary look. "Killing him would be bad…"

Nadja snorted and walked past Rajh. The black man sighed and followed Nadja out of their room. Honestly sometimes there was no arguing with the stubborn white haired male. Well unless it was Rain doing the arguing. A crazed red headed psychopath swinging around a sword and shouting almost incoherently tends to win arguments... or at least silence.

As the pair walked into the hall Hope was coming out of his room. Dressed and ready for the day, well most of the day. Something told the Estheim that any encounter with Rain would probably end painfully today.

"Hope." Nadja said as he walked up beside the man in question. "What did you do to Rain?"

"I have no idea." Hope said half truthfully. He knew the silver heart had upset her, but he didn't know why.

However as Nadja grabbed his shoulder and spun him around Hope had a feeling that answer wasn't good enough.

"If you hurt Rain I'll kill you." Nadja promised. "She's a very fragile person, break her and I'll send you to hell, understand?" Nadja's voice was low, dark and dangerous as he whispered this softly to Hope.

"I don't want to break anybody." Hope replied truthfully. "I really don't want to hurt her. I know someone like her and she's someone I never, ever, want to hurt."

"Hmph." Nadja walked past Hope. "See that you don't." Leaving Rajh to sigh and walk up beside Hope.

_Is that what your family was like mom?_ Hope wondered with a hint of depression. _Thank you for being a calmer person the Nadja mom…_

"He's not a bad guy, well at least not generally." Rajh said as he put a comforting hand on Hope's shoulder. "He is very protective of Rain. Though I don't know why." Hope looked over his shoulder at Rajh.

"Is he the one that gave her the locket?" Rajh looked confused.

"Kid I didn't know she had a locket, are you sure you aren't seeing things?" Hope had a feeling he wasn't being told the truth, but in the end it didn't make much difference right now.

"Can you do me a favor?" Hope asked as a thought struck him.

"What's that?" Rajh raised a curious eyebrow.

"I need a chance to apologize privately with Rain." He looked forwards. "I don't know why but I really upset her, I'd like to make it up to her."

Rajh frowned, this was surprising. Hope was clearly wise beyond his years. And mature, calm and collected… and generally the exact opposite of Rain it seemed.

_Maker, you've dropped quite the interesting person in our laps._ Rajh patted Hope on the back hard as he passed. _He might be just the thing this base needs._

"I'll see what I can do." Rajh assured he walked on.

"Thank you." Rajh waved Hope's thanks off.

"Don't mention." Rajh's hands fell to his pockets. "Trust me; a less pissed off Rain is a good thing for everyone…"

* * *

"Hey sis…" Frost poked her head into a transport. "You in this one?"

When no 'I'm not your damn sister!' came from the transport Frost sighed. She had been checking the transports for Rain, who had disappeared after nearly killing some of the new recruits. But it was useless. Wherever Rain was Frost couldn't find her…

"I'm not your damn sister." An angry huff emitted from the transport at last. "Now leave me alone, I was sleeping."

Frost sighed as she entered the transport. Rain sleeping in odd places was common. It happened a lot when she was stressed and there wasn't anything she could hit. And when she got this way Rain was very…

"Frost get the hell out!" Hard to deal with.

Rain was stretched out on one of the transports benches. She was fully clothed, so she wasn't sleeping, and about ready to slug Frost.

"Why?" Frost grinned her 'hero' grin. "You don't own the transport…"

Frost ducked as Rain swung the flat of her blade at Frost. Frost grinned and rushed forward, trapping Rain in a great big hug.

"The hell! Let go of me before I frigin kill you!" Rain shouted as Frost, still hugging her, dragged Rain out of the transport.

"Come on sis." Frost grinned. "The others will be here soon and we should be ready to greet them."

"Frost are you listening? If you don't put me down I'll kill you, kill, chop head off, string up by your intestines and generally disembowel you!" Rain was struggling, shouting and glaring at anyone who dared look her way.

"Hey Frost have some mercy on her." A smirking black haired male said. "She's had a hard day with that heart throb Hope showing up."

"Raines!" Rain flipped her gun down and aimed at the smug man. "I'm going to kill you to!" And Rain recited her regular list of threats.

Ian Raines sniggered at her. His black hair falling messily into grey eyes.

"What's wrong Rain?" Ian laughed Rain thrashed about, trying to get away from Frost so she could bash Ian's head in. "Can't you get down here?"

"Kill!" Rain shouted for emphasis.

Then she elbowed Frost in the neck. Frost gasped in pain and released Rain who pushed past her and plowed into Ian.

"Should I be writing my will?" Ian was far too smug for his own good.

""Ian, I'm going to turn your head into paste!" Rain pulled a fist back, as Ian's smug grin broadened.

"Hey you just said my name." Rain froze. "And it hasn't been a month." Ian gently pulled her left hand off of his shirt. "Tomorrow it'll have been a month." Ian sounded serious, he looked serious as well. "Save it for then." And with that Ian left Rain, who was staring after him.

"It has almost been a month since he introduced himself, hasn't it?" Rain asked softly as she stood up.

"Yep, tomorrow it'll have been a month exactly." Frost walked up next to Rain.

"…Is he…" Rain shook her head.

Frost frowned down at Rain. The aura coming from her had changed from the normal angry 'piss me off and die' to something more like someone who was hurt, badly.

"Come on." The deadly aura was back. "Where the hell is Nadja? We need to leave soon."

"I'm here." Rain spun around and saw Nadja calmly walk out from behind a transport. "And could you tone down your vocabulary? There comes a point where it's merely annoying and redundant."

"Whatever." Rain crossed her arms and looked away from Nadja. "Just hurry the hell up."

"You're as eloquent as always." Nadja said dryly. "Frost Rajh has assigned me, you and Merry to be in one transport. Rain, you, Rajh and Hope are in the other."

"I'm in a transport with the pervert?" Rain's blue eye narrowed.

"And me." Rajh said as him and Hope headed towards the group. "Don't worry; I'll protect you from mister perv over there."

"I'm not a pervert." Hope muttered as the pair joined the group.

"Wait for me!" Merry shouted as she ran towards the group. "You meanie's were talking about the mission without me." She was pouting, and it was effective.

"Merry, you're the last one here again." Nadja stated, eyes sliding to peer at Merry. "A thousand laps when we get back."

"What?" Merry's eyes widened almost comically. "What'd I do to deserve that!" She whined.

"You're always late." Frost said.

"And you eat like a large army." Rajh added.

Hope couldn't be certain, but he thought he saw Rain's eye seemed to smile. But it was for a moment before she caught him staring and glared at Hope.

_She hates me…_ Hope swallowed hard and looked away from her. _Light what should I do?_

"You guys are all so mean to me!" Merry whined, Rajh ruffled her hair.

"And you love us for it."Rajh stated.

"Are the lot of you done yet?" Nadja said impatiently. "We are on a time table."

"Then get on with it." Rain snapped.

Hope risked another glance at her. Rain's arms were crossed and one foot was tapping impatiently. But her shoulders were relaxed and her eye wasn't narrowed dangerously like it normally was.

"Very well then." Nadja looked at the group, one at a time, for a moment before his eyes settled on Hope. "Pulse has created a war ship on a scale never thought possible. Our reports have some variations but generally it is agreed that this ship is considerably larger then all of Bodhum, including its gulf."

There was a collective, stunned, silence. Nadja let the silence continue for a few moments, permitting the seriousness of the situation to set in, before continuing.

"The regular army sent in a dozen battle ships. They were all destroyed at long range by a mysterious weapon." Nadja said. "Survivors claim that the front of the ship folded back and a massive wave cannon was used."

"You mean like the ones the warmechs have?" Rajh asked curiously.

"Yes. The ultra sonic cannon. The weapon operates by firing a concentrated beam of sound waves that instantly match a targets frequency and tear them apart. On the scale we've employed them the weapon is good against infantry and some vehicles." Nadja's tone had a hint of deadly seriousness about it. "However Kairos believes this cannon is on a magnitude that makes anything we've ever attempted look pitiful."

"How powerful are we talking?" Merry asked excitedly. "Like destroy mountain strong!" She looked and sounded very much like a kid set loose in a toy store.

"No you idiot." Rain's eye narrowed, Hope swallowed as she looked just like she did when they had met. "Assuming the whole ship is designed to power this weapon then it could blow a hole in Cocoon. But you already know that, don't you Nadja?"

Nadja frowned. Rain always seemed able to tell when he was holding back information. It was an uncanny ability, one he was very interested in replicating for his own purposes.

"Then you know how to bring it down, right?" Frost asked; face a little more serious than normal. "Because we can't let that thing anywhere near our home."

"I suppose since someone." Nadja delivered a pointed look at Rain. "Seems bent on annoying me I don't have a choice, do I. Every wave cannon has a weakness. That weakness is in the back where it charges. Now we can't directly attack it. The ship is designed to protect that cannon so anything short of crashing a fleet of air ships into it would yield no positive results." Nadja smirked now.

"However if a small group could get inside then destroying the device would be a simple affair. Requiring little more than a couple grenades and someone's loose temper." Nadja looked at Rajh.

"So how do we get through that armor plating?" Hope shivered as the aura of death coming off of Rain increased. "Or do you think a loose temper is enough to break through it?"

"If I had to be on the armor or the temper I would bet on the bad temper." Rajh joked, Rain waved a fist threateningly. "In all seriousness there is a possible way through." Rajh's face became serious as he and Nadja locked gazes. "But it's a dangerous proposition, we're all more likely to die then it work…"

"What is it! Oh can we try it now, sounds like so much fun…" Everyone gave Merry a hard look, except Hope who stared at her wide eyed. "Sorry…" She bowed her head, but Hope couldn't help but notice the ear to ear grin plastered on her face as she tried to look sorry.

_Mental note._ Hope swallowed and looked away. _Never make her mad. No one that grins like that is good to piss off._

"So what is it?" Rain's voice brought Hope out of his thoughts. "If we're going to risk our lives, again, then we might as well know what half assed device we're risking them on."

"You a very vulgar person Rain." Nadja informed. "Rajh explain it to her, Merry, Frost we need to get ready to go. I'll explain it if I decide you need to know."

"Ah…" Frost pouted at Rain. "I wanted to go with sis…"

"I'm not you damn sister!" Rain was about to start swinging at Frost when Rajh held her arms back. "What do you have? A sister complex you damn cold freak!"

"Ah." Frost grinned as she followed Merry and Nadja. "Rain must really love me…"

"I'm going to kill you!" Rain was seriously thrashing around now. "There will be pieces of you strewn all over this hell hole!"

"Rain calm down!" Rajh shouted in her ear. "Killing her won't do you any good…"

Rain stopped struggling and turned her hooded head to glare at Rajh. Then she gave the man a vicious head but to the nose. Rajh shouted and let Rain go.

"Whatever, just make sure the perverted bastard actually comes." She shot a glare at Hope. "If you chicken out I'll string you up by your small intestine." And with that she walked into the transport.

"She's very violent…" Hope swallowed. "Kind of scary really."

"I won't tell you why." Rajh said. "But she has a decent reason for being that way."

"Alright." Hope was staring at the transport she had just entered. "I knew someone a lot like her."

"Come on." Rajh nudged Hope forwards, Hope nodded and the pair started towards the transport.

Rain gave Hope a look as he entered. It was a cross between I'm going to kill you and leave me alone. Of course that look only lasted a moment before she started stare at the far wall, away from Hope.

"Rain I'm going up front." Rajh said as he headed for the cockpit. "I want to make sure the autopilot doesn't drop us into the ocean again, you remember when that happened right?"

"Just go ya dumb shit." Rain growled.

_Man, she's pretty volatile, even to people she knows._ Hope sat down next to Rain, earning him a sideways glance. _I wonder if I'm going to survive this._

A silence settles between Hope and Rain. Rain was deciding how best to get away from Hope. She didn't know quite why but his presence was discomforting right now. If they didn't have a mission Rain would probably just deck Hope and be done with it, but the chewing out Nadja would give her just wasn't worth it.

"I'm sorry." Rain glanced at Hope as he said this.

"Sorry for what, bastard?" Rain's voice was its normal harsh self, but Hope thought he detected a hint of weariness from the slump of her shoulders.

"I don't understand why but the heart made you mad." Hope sounded so innocent. "So I'm sorry."

_Is this guy for real?_ Rain looked at Hope, eye slightly wide. _He sounds so damn innocent…_

"Fine." Rain reached for the clasps on her hood. "If you're sorry I forgive you." And pulled it over her head. "But do it again and I'll kill you."

Rain was frowning as turned her head to look at Hope. Exactly why she took off the head escaped her, but it felt like she should. So Rain did.

"Trust me." Hope sighed and pulled at his shirt collar. "Making you mad is not something high on my list of priorities."

Rain didn't smirk or smile. Instead she did something much more Rain like. Her lips settled into a neutral line and Hope swore her eye softened just the tiniest bit.

"Good." Rain leaned back against the wall of the transport and yawned. "Something tells me killing someone named Hope is back luck…" Her words trailed off and Rain slid down the wall, eventually falling on Hope's shoulder and snoring rather loudly.

_Dear maker._ Hope looked horrified at the sleeping Rain. _Please let her have mercy when she wakes up… because this is not my fault!_

Hope can either be considered the luckiest man alive to have Rain that close. Or the most unlucky for the same reason.

Then again if Hope was to be honest with himself, which he wasn't, he would have to admit that he didn't mind Rain sleeping on his arm… not it was the punch in the head she gave upon waking that he minded…

**

* * *

(A/N)**

**Aye, sorry for the late update. Some of you've probably already heard but my hands have been giving me trouble lately so my writing time is being limited. But I'm writing as fast as I can, honest. I have a lot of fire going on for this story so don't worry I'll do my best.**

**I've honestly been a little bit surprised with this one. Generally it seems Rain is liked very much. I was kind of worried I'd have a bunch of rabid Hope fans on for me having him around someone quite so openly violent. I think she was best described as Lightning on steroids, with a rage issue, and a bigger sword… I think that's pretty accurate.**

**Thank you Gravenimage, Tear of Light, GeneralSeig and Bista for reviewing. You guys are awesome 'insert thumbs up'**

**Disclaimer:**

**Chazz: Why don't I own the rights?**

**Rain: Because you're a bastard 'flips through TV channels bored'**

**Chazz: Hey that's kind of harsh!**

**Rain: 'sideways glare' Trust me. A bastard like you doesn't have anything on Square Enix.**

**Chazz: A 'bastard' like me thought you up. 'returns glare'**

**Rain: 'punches unconscious' Shut up ya dumb red head, I'm watching the cooking channel so ya better be quiet.**

**Hope: 'holds up sign reading help me' **

**Rain: 'grabs by shirt collar' I'll help throw ya out the window if you don't shut up. 'looks up at reader' Hey chapters over, you can go now 'looks down at Hope evilly' Ya don't want to see what I'm going to do to him any ways…**

**Hope: Somebody help me!**

**Laters!**

**Chazz  
**


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